;=; 


* 


7 


Hope's  Messenger 


By 

Gabrielle  E.  Jackson 


Author  of 

"Denise  and  Ned  Toadies"  Series 

"Little  Miss  Cricket"  Series       "Peggy  Stewart"  Series 
"Three  Graces"  Series     "Cap  and  Capers"     "Captain  Polly"  Serie. 


Chicago 

M.  A.  Donohue  &  Company 


Copyright  1913 

by 
M.  A.  DONOHTTE  &  Co. 

CHICAGO 


Made  in  U.  S.  A. 


To  Gladys,  my  dear  foster-daughter,  and  a 

loyal  friend  to  the  one  1  love  best 

of  all,  this   story   is   most 

lovingly  inscribed 

by 
"Aunty  J." 


2130595 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

I — WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS 11 

II — As  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY 26 

III — AN  INDOOR  PICNIC 40 

IV— SAITO 54 

V — THE  KENTUCKY  CARDINAL'S  MESSAGE  . .  68 

VI — HOPE'S  WELCOME  TO  SANS  Souci 85 

VII — NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS 100 

VIII— THE  RESCUE 116 

IX— BEATRICE      131 

X — WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME 148 

XI — BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE 163 

XII— THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE 178 

XIII — LOOKING  BACKWARD 194 

XIV— SAITO  TAKES  A  HOLIDAY 207 

XV — "!T  RAINS,  AND  THE  WIND  Is  NEVER 

WEARY" 222 

XVI — A  LITTLE  PENITENT 236 

XVII— EASTER 251 

XVIII— WHY  SAITO  FAILED 263 

XIX — THE  SPIRIT  OF  HINOHIME 277 

XX — THE  PROMISE  Is  FULFILLED 292 

XXI — UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN  . .  .  305 


OUTLINE  OF  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

First  Volume  of  the  Hope  Series 

THE  scene  of  this  series  is  laid  in  New  York  City, 
on  the  upper  West  side  near  Riverside  Drive. 
In  the  opening  chapter  the  little  heroine,  then 
not  four  years  of  age,  has  met  with  a  terrible  accident 
while  crossing  the  Drive  with  her  nurse.  An  auto- 
mobile has  run  over  her,  inflicting,  what  ultimately 
proves  to  be  a  seemingly  incurable  injury.  Her  par- 
ents and  all  who  know  her  are  nearly  heart-broken,  for 
the  child,  who  is  beloved  by  all  the  neighborhood, 
possesses  the  sunniest  soul  ever  housed  in  a  faultless 
little  body.  Medical  skill  is  sought  throughout  the 
world  during  that  year  of  torture,  but  without  avail. 
The  child  is  unable  to  either  sit  up  or  take  a  step. 

An  interval  of  six  years  elapses  before  we  see  her 
again,  during  each,  strenuous  efforts  having  been  made 
to  restore  the  little  girl  to  health  and  strength.  In  the 
second  chapter  we  find  her  at  ten  years  of  age  still 
helpless,  but  living  a  wonderful  life  in  her  beautiful 
home  where  everything  which  love  can  suggest,  or 
great  wealth  procure,  is  brought  to  her  bed-side. 

Here  she  spends  the  greater  portion  of  her  time, 
often  subjected  to  the  cruelest  suffering,  but  never 
losing  her  sunny,  hopeful  outlook  upon  life.  Radiating 


happiness  for  others,  planning  all  manner  of  delights 
for  those  upon  whom  fortune  has  frowned,  filling  all 
her  little  world  with  a  wondrous  joy,  and  finding  good 
in  everything.  Never  for  a  moment  has  she  failed 
to  live  up  to  her  name  of  "Hope,"  firmly  believing 
that  she  will  ultimately  be  restored  to  perfect  health. 
She  is  not  a  morbidly  religious  child,  but  has  an  abiding 
faith  that  her  prayer  for  health  will  be  answered,  and 
answered  in  some  unusual  manner.  To  this  belief 
she  has  held  from  the  first,  because,  she  says:  "I  am 
an  Easter  child  and  came  with  the  promise  of  now  life." 
Not  only  does  she  manifest  this  unfaltering  trust  in  the 
Father's  promise,  but  has  said  from  the  beginning  of 
her  suffering  that  she  would  be  cured  in  time  to  see  her 
brother  graduate  from  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annap- 
olis, where  he  is  a  midshipman  at  the  opening  of  this 
story. 

But  older  people  are  less  sanguine,  and  as  the 
months  and  years  have  slipped  away  their  hope  has 
grown  fainter.  Yet  hers  has  never  faltered.  That  it 
is  justified  is  ultimately  proved.  Meanwhile  she  leads 
her  sweet,  sunny  life,  filled  with  a  thousand  interests, 
and  is  "just  waiting  the  right  time, "  she  says. 

It  comes  just  after  she  is  confirmed,  and  the  scene, 
taken  from  an  actual  occurrence  of  which  the  author 
is  aware,  is  certainly  one  of  the  latter-day  miracles  and 
as  beautiful  as  any  ever  recorded.  She  has  striven  to 
picture  it  as  simply  and  beautifully  as  it  actually  took 
place,  but  this  she  found  a  well-nigh  impossible  achieve- 
ment. 

This  story  completes  the  first  volume.    The  second 


finds  the  little  patient  upon  the  road  to  recovery,  and 
pictures  all  her  new  world  means  to  her.  The  third 
finds  health  wholly  restored  and  the  object  of  her  am- 
bition attained: — to  be  present  on  board  her  brother's 
ship  at  some  special  function,  to  see  him  "a  really, 
truly  Naval  Officer  with  a  chapeau  and  epaulets  and 
to  walk,  WALK!  beside  him,  his  very  sweetest  sweet- 
heart." 

This  brother  is  ten  years  her  senior,  and  has  ever 
been  her  idol  and  ideal,  as  the  beautiful  little  golden- 
haired  sister  has  been  his.  His  devotion  to  his  pro- 
fession and  enthusiasm  have  infected  her  also,  and  their 
loyalty  to  Old  Glory  is  a  pretty  thing,  indeed. 

Each  book  consists  of  twenty  chapters  of  about 
twenty-four  hundred  words  to  each. 

The  second  book  will  be  called  "Hope's  New 
World." 

The  third,  "Hope  of  the  Battle  Ships." 


Hope's  Messenger 

CHAPTER  I 


"Birds  are  singing! 
Bells  are  ringing! 
Everything  is  gay! 
This  glad  Easter  day! 
This  glad  Easter  day!" 

How  sweet  and  clear  sounded  the  voices  of 
the  boys'  choir  singing  their  joyous  Easter 

carol  in  the  great  church  on  the  corner  of th 

street  and  the  boulevard. 

It  was  a  wonderful  Easter  day  for  New  York 
City,  for  it  fell  in  the  middle  of  April  that  year, 
and  all  the  world  was  blooming. 

And  Easter  day  in  New  York  City!  What 
a  sight  it  is!  What  a  panorama  of  motion, 
color,  perfume;  what  a  scene  of  contrasts:  As 
though  the  old  world  of  Christianity  had  rushed 
pell  mell  into  the  new  one. 


12  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

From  the  lower  East  side  of  the  great  city, 
where  Germany  and  Italy  burgeon  forth  in 
their  Easter  finery  regardless  of  the  season,  or 
the  ordering  of  the  Weather  Clerk;  from  the 
lower  West  side  tenements  where  Erin's  sons 
foregather,  straight  up  South  Fifth  Avenue 
with  its  teeming  French  population,  to  Wash- 
ington Arch — that  mighty  barrier  between  two 
social  worlds — a  festive  spirit  fills  the  big  city. 
Yes,  and  on,  on,  beyond,  far  up  "The  Avenue" 
and  all  along  Riverside  Drive,  it  is  one  mass  of 
moving  color,  festive  raiment,  gaiety,  perfume 
and  blossoms. 

Vehicles  filled  with  beautifully  gowned 
women,  daintily  clad  young  girls,  fascinating 
children,  sweet  and  winsome  as  pansies,  pass 
to  and  fro  in  a  seemingly  endless  stream. 

But  it  is  the  stroke  of  high  noon  which  re- 
leases the  flood-gates  of  New  York's  popula- 
tion; at  least,  its  Christian  population,  to  let 
it  pour  forth  from  every  church  in  the  vast 
city,  forming  a  wonderful  picture  of  new  life, 
new  hope,  and  joy — the  resurrection — for 


WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS    13 

high  and  low,  rich  and  poor;  the  fulfillment  of 
the  Father's  promise  to  his  children. 

But  was  it  all  joy,  hope,  fulfillment? 

There  come  hours  in  our  lives  when  our 
faith  is  sorely  taxed  and  upon  this  beautiful 
Easter  morn,  with  the  glad  voices  of  children 
carolling  their  Easter  hymns,  it  was  hard  in- 
deed, for  one  tortured  woman  to  feel  that 
there  could  be  either  joy  or  gladness  in  the 
world  beyond  the  open  windows  of  her  home, 
a  world  so  sweet,  so  fresh,  so  softly  green, — 
for  barely  forty-eight  hours  before  the  very 
light  of  her  life  seemed  extinguished. 

It  had  all  happened  with  such  overwhelming 
swiftness,  as  such  things  invariably  do:  The 
Swiss  nurse  was  crossing  the  broad  beautiful 
street  upon  which  the  house  stood,  her  charge, 
to  whom  she  was  devoted  with  a  devotion  be- 
yond words  to  convey,  prancing  along  beside 
her,  golden-bronze  curls  waving  in  the  sun- 
shine, hazel  eyes  shining  with  happiness, 
cheeks  glowing  with  health,  and  little  tongue 
chattering  as  only  the  "Little  Daisy  Maiden's" 


14  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

could  chatter.  The  little  girl  was  known  by 
that  name  to  all  the  neighborhood  and  a  bonny 
sight  she  was.  Those  who  knew  her,  and  they 
were  many,  were  sure  of  a  radiant  smile  of 
greeting  or  some  charming  words,  for  the 
child's  vocabulary  was  a  source  of  marvel  to 
all  who  knew  her,  and  filled  strangers  with 
amazement.  Absolutely  free  from  self-con- 
sciousness, never  shy,  beautiful  as  a  painter's 
model,  and  always  as  daintily  clad  as  exquisite 
taste  and  unlimited  wealth  could  command, 
she  was  known  to  the  neighborhood  near  and 
far,  and  welcomed  everywhere  as  are  sunshine, 
sweet  music  or  a  rare  fragrance. 

And  what  had  forty-eight  hours  wrought? 

That  Friday  morning  a  huge  motor-car 
filled  with  men  unworthy  the  name,  and 
women  whom  it  seemed  as  though  God  must 
have  created  without  souls,  had  swung  around 
the  corner  at  lightning  speed  and  gone  upon 
its  way  without  pause  or  thought  for  the 
tragedy  in  its  wake. 

Good    Friday!    Long,    long    ago    another 


WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS    15 

mother's  heart  had  bled  and  all  the  world  had 
sorrowed  with  her. 

And  now,  upon  this  fair  Easter  morn,  with 
all  the  world  rejoicing,  and  voices  carolling 
of  new  life  and  joy,  a  sunny,  happy  little  child 
lay  still  and  unconscious  under  the  knives  of 
two  of  the  world's  greatest  surgeons  and  their 
attendants,  while  sweet-faced  nurses  stood  by 
to  aid,  and  in  the  room  below  an  anguished 
mother  had  thrown  herself  into  the  arms  of  a 
man  whose  face  was  white  and  set  as  he  held 
her  close  and  murmured  with  quivering  lips: 

"Courage,  dear  heart,  courage." 

How  silent  the  great  house.  How  hushed, 
how  awed  in  the  face  of  the  terrible  calamity 
which  had  without  an  instant's  warning  fallen 
upon  it.  Each  heart-beat  of  those  waiting  in 
such  suspense  upon  the  outcome  of  that  deli- 
cate operation  above-stairs  seemed  like  a 
stroke  of  fate.  The  striking  of  the  tall  clock 
in  the  broad  hall  jarred  cruelly  upon  nerves 
keyed  to  the  snapping  tension.  "Time"  was 
indeed  counted  by  "heart  throbs"  in  that 


16  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

household  by  those  who  loved  her  best,  yes, 
even  by  the  little  kitchen  maid  whom  the 
cook  discovered  crouched  in  the  pot-closet 
hugging  to  her  breast  the  sauce-pan  used  ex- 
clusively for  the  "Little  Mistress'  "  boullion, 
and  sobbing  as  though  her  heart  would  break. 

How  slowly  time  passed.  How  slowly  the 
hours  dragged  along  that  Easter  morn.  Would 
there  never,  never  come  a  sound  from  that 
room  overhead?  Never  a  message  of  hope  or 
—oh  anything,  anything  rather  than  this  hor- 
rible suspense,  dear  God! 

High  noon.  Up  in  St.  Stephen's  tower  the 
chimes  began  to  ring  out  their  gladsome  tid- 
ings. "Christ  is  risen!  Christ  is  risen!" 

Overhead  a  door  is  softly  opened  and  gently 
closed.  A  light  footfall  treads  upon  the  thick- 
ly padded  stairs,  but  the  mother -ear  is  keen; 
the  mother  heart  responsive  to  the  faintest 
sound.  A  white-uniformed  nurse  enters,  and 
instantly  the  room  is  pervaded  by  a  subtle, 
sickening  odor.  Never  in  all  the  coming  years 
wiU  Mrs.  Curtis  catch  the  faintest  suggestion 


WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS    17 

of  that  odor  without  a  shudder  passing  over 
her.  She  springs  from  her  husband's  embrace, 
stretches  forth  her  hands,  but  her  lips  refuse 
to  form  the  words. 

How  tenderly  sympathetic  is  the  nurse's 
face  as  she  clasps  the  outstretched  hands,  and 
then  placing  an  arm  about  the  trembling  figure 
leads  her  to  the  couch,  saying  in  a  voice  full  of 
compassion : 

"  'God  is  still  God,  and  His  faith  shall  not 
fail  us:  Christ  is  eternal!'  She  will  live. 
God's  message  of  the  day  will  mean  more  to 
you  than  it  ever  has  before." 

Hours  have  passed,  but  up  in  the  pretty 
nursery,  so  calm,  so  still,  so  peaceful  the  mo- 
tionless little  form  still  lies  upon  its  snowy  bed. 
On  every  side  are  luxury,  comfort  and  wealth 
to  make  her  happy,  but  she  is  oblivious  to  all. 
Over  near  the  open  window  sits  the  Swiss 
nurse,  holding  in  her  lap  the  little  woolly  toy 
dog;  her  treasure's  pet  toy.  Would  she  ever 
open  those  wonderful  hazel  eyes  and  say  in 
that  soft,  bird-like  voice: 


18  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"Lizette,  mon  cher  petit  Fugi.  Meine  liebe 
Hund.  My  little,  little  lovable  Fugi.  The 
darling!" 

The  trained  nurse  moves  quietly  about  the 
room.  By  the  bedside  sits  the  mother,  white 
as  the  silken  coverlid  laid  across  her  darling, 
one  hand  holding  the  inert  little  fingers,  the 
other  unconsciously  toying  with  the  mass  of 
bronze  gold  lying  upon  the  pillow.  One 
window  is  open  to  let  in  the  soft  spring  air,  and 
presently  from  beyond  it  the  vesper  chimes 
begin  to  ring  and  simultaneously  through  the 
open  casement  floats  the  sweet  vesper  hymn: 

"Our  hearts  be  pure  from  evil 
That  we  may  see  aright 
The  Lord  in  rays  eternal 
Of  resurrection-light: 
And,  listening  to  His  accents, 
May  hear  so  calm  and  plain 
His  own  'all  hail'  and  hearing 
May  raise  the  victor  strain." 

As  the  soft  strains  died  away  there  was  a 
gentle  sigh  from  the  colorless  lips  and  a  faint 


WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS    19 

fluttering  of  the  eyelids.  Then  they  were 
raised  and  the  wonderful  hazel  eyes  looked  up 
into  those  bending,  hovering,  yearning  above 
them.  Gradually,  calmly,  as  life  and  color 
creep  into  the  morning  sky,  the  light  of  re- 
turning consciousness  and  recognition  crept 
into  the  child's  eyes.  The  perfect  lines  of  the 
cupid's  bow  curved  slightly  upward  and  a 
weary  little  voice  whispered : 

"The  Daisy,  Daisy — mai — maiden  is  so 
tired,  cherie.  So — so — sleepy.  The  chimes 
are  telling  her  about  'Sleepy — sleepy-town.' 
Sing  for  her,  cherie,  and  when — when  she 
wakes  up  she'll — be — be — all  well  and  better." 

Instantly  the  Swiss  nurse  was  kneeling  upon 
the  floor  at  the  further  side  of  the  bed,  her  eyes 
streaming  as  she  tried  to  articulate. 

"Ma  petite,  oh,  ma  petite,  come  back  to 
our  world!  Come  back  to  your  Lizette  and 
Fugi." 

The  nurse  drew  near,  holding  up  a  warning 
hand,  and  saying  gently: 

"Hush." 


20  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"Lizette.  My  Lizette,  my  Fugi,  please/' 
and  one  little  arm  strove  to  reach  for  her 
treasure.  The  nurse  nodded  reassuringly  and 
said,  "All  is  well,"  then  bending  added: 

"Just  a  little  drink  for  the  Daisy  Maiden;  so 
cool  and  refreshing." 

It  was  taken  with  a  smile. 

"Now  cherie,  'The  train  for  Sleepy-town/ 
please." 

Mrs.  Curtis  slipped  to  her  knees  by  the  bed- 
side, leaned  close  to  the  white  face  upon  the 
pillow  and  began  to  sing  in  a  voice  which  had 
once  held  St.  Stephen's  congregation  entranced : 

"Jesus,  tender  Shepherd,  hear  me: 
Bless  Thy  little  one  tonight: 
Through  the  darkness  be  Thou  near  me, 
Keep  me  safe  till  morning  light." 

How  tenderly  the  voice  vibrated.  With 
what  intense  appeal  each  softly  articulated 
word  was  uttered.  If  ever  earnest  prayer 
ascended  to  the  throne  Divine  one  did  in  that 
childish  hymn. 

At  the  first  notes  a  man's  footfall  crossed  the 


WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS    21 

hall  from  the  room  upon  the  further  side  of  the 
corridor.  It  fell  noiselessly  upon  the  rich  rug 
and  the  singer  was  unaware  of  his  presence 
until  his  hand  was  laid  tenderly  upon  her 
shoulder.  A  slight  tremor  passed  over  her 
graceful  and  still  girlish  form,  but  there  was 
no  break  in  the  notes.  The  little  girl  upon  the 
bed  stirred  slightly,  opened  her  eyes  and  just 
whispered  the  word: 

"Daddy." 

Then  sleep — the  natural,  restorative  sleep  of 
returning  life  and  health  claimed  her  and  she 
jounaeyed  away  into  the  land  of  oblivion 
where  pain  is  unknown. 

The  nurse  came  to  Mrs.  Curtis'  side. 

"She  will,  no  doubt,  sleep  for  several  hours 
now.  It  is  very  necessary  that  she  should; 
that  no  sound  or  motion  disturb  her.  You 
have  had  no  rest  for  hours.  Mr.  Curtis,  will  you 
take  your  wife  to  her  own  apartments,  let  her 
maid  undress  her  and  insist  upon  a  few  hours 
rest?  I  shall  not  release  my  vigilance  here  for 
a  single  moment.  Miss  Woodward  will  give 


22  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

me  all  needed  assistance  and  Lizette  is  at 

hand.  Dr 's  assistant  will  be  here  each 

hour  to  receive  my  report.  If  the  slightest 
change  takes  place  you  shall  be  called  instant- 
ly. So  believing  no  news  to  be  good  news, 
will  you  try  to  rest?  You  have  not  done  so 
since  Friday  morning  and  this  cannot  go  on." 

The  nurse  paused,  her  sweet  smile  most 
persuasive. 

"Miss  Forrester  is  right,  Violet.  Be  per- 
suaded, dear.  Come  with  me.  Our  little  one 
is  in  safe  hands." 

"But  you,  Raymond.  You  have  had  no 
rest  either.  But  how  can  I  leave  her,  dear?" 

Oh,  the  pathos  in  that  question ! 

"Will  you  both  rest,  or  must  I  summon  Dr. 
Hartmann?"  asked  the  nurse,  smiling  warn- 
ingly.  Dr.  Hartmann  was  the  family  physi- 
cian whose  home  was  but  a  few  doors  further 
down  -  — th  Street  and  who  had  been  hastily 
summoned  that  fatal  morning,  and  who,  in 
turn,  had  as  hastily  summoned  the  two  great 
surgeons  in  consultation. 


WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS    23 

"Come  Violet,"  said  Mr.  Curtis. 

With  an  inarticulate  little  cry  the  mother 
bent  forward,  caught  one  of  the  golden-bronze 
curls  in  her  hand  and  pressed  her  lips  pas- 
sionately to  it.  Not  for  a  thousand  worlds 
would  she  have  touched  that  dear  face  with 
her  lips  lest  even  love's  message  disturb  its 
perfect  tranquility. 

Then  leaning  upon  her  husband's  arm  she 
went  slowly  from  the  room,  again  and  again 
turning  yearning  glances  toward  the  brass 
bedstead  where  lay  her  very  life. 

Lizette  wiped  her  streaming  eyes  and  whis- 
pered: 

"It  would  mean  my  lady,  too,  if  the  little 
one  went." 

"She  will  not  go,  but  we  have  a  long,  hard 
battle  to  fight,  good  Lizette.  Now  lie  down 
on  that  couch  and  get  an  hour  or  two's  rest. 
I  do  not  need  you  now,  but  there  will  be  many 
steps  to  be  taken  later.  You  have  been  so 
faithful,  so  devoted." 

"And — yes — why  not?    Ma  Petite — mine 


24  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

she  has  been  since  the  trained  nurse  left  when 
she  was  one  year  old.  More  than  three  years 
ago — yes — and  in  all  three  no  badness — no — 
what  you  call?  L'enfant  gate — ze  pure  cus- 
sed-ness you  see  in  zees  American  children  with 
all  ze  worl'  to  command.  Non-non!  Always 
ze  sweetness,  ze  sunlight,  ze  graciousness  and 
— and  ze  dignity — ze  moaither  and  ze  father— 
ze  two  as  one.  My  leetle  one.  You  safe  her ! 
You  make  her  to  be  all  she  was  three  days  ago. 
You  with  le  bon  Dieu's  help!" 

Lizette  clasped  the  nurse's  hands  and  looked 
beseechingly  into  her  eyes. 

"Yes,  with  God's  help  and  the  surgeon's 
skill.  But,  remember,  the  battle  will  be  a  long 
one  and  patience  will  be  taxed.  Now  you  can 
help  best  by  obeying  me  just  as  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis  have  done,  for  if  I  need  you  I  shall  need 
all  you  can  give  me  of  love  and  sound  sense." 

"I  do  as  you  say,  Mademoiselle.  Mrs. 
Curtis  bid  me  obey  you  in  all  things.  I  go  to 
do  so.  I  sleep,"  and  utterly  worn  out  with 
sorrow,  anxiety  and  watching  the  faithful 


WHEN  MINUTES  SEEM  HOURS    25 

woman  cast  herself  upon  the  couch  and  ere 
five  minutes  had  passed  was  slumbering 
soundly. 

The  nurse  returned  to  her  patient's  side. 
The  little  child  still  slept,  yet  not  one  degree 
of  vigilance  was  relaxed.  Miss  Forrester  had 
chosen  her  profession  from  love,  not  necessity. 
A  gentlewoman  by  birth  and  breeding,  straight 
from  a  home  of  luxury,  this  work  had  been 
undertaken  because  neither  medical  skill  nor 
the  most  careful  nursing  had  been  able  to  hold 
from  the  Great  Beyond  the  one  to  whom  she 
was  to  have  been  married  within  a  month. 
He  was  a  young  physician  and  had  given  his 
life  for  a  patient.  He  always  seemed  very  near 
to  her  when  she  was  working  over  a  critical 
case. 


CHAPTER  II 

AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY 

Easter  days,  yes,  six,  have  come  and  gone 
since  the  one  told  of  in  the  opening  chapter. 
The  one  which  held  such  anguish  for  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Curtis,  and  all  within  that  home  as  well 
as  many,  many  beyond  its  walls.  Also  for  a 
lad  at  a  famous  military  school  up  the  Hudson, 
the  brother  of  the  little  patient.  He  had  not 
been  sent  for;  at  the  time  of  the  accident  it  had 
seemed  best  not  to  send;  every  moment  was 
so  very  precious  and  all  energies  were  centered 
upon  the  one  whose  life  hung  suspended  by  a 
hair.  He  had  been  notified  at  once  and  his 
anguish  had  been  cruel.  He  was  to  have  come 
home  for  that  Easter  week  and  in  the  drawing 
of  a  breath  all  was  changed.  It  was  deemed 
wisest  to  let  him  spend  the  holidays  with  a 
friend  in  Briarcliff,  there  to  receive  almost 


AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY  27 

hourly  messages.  He  was  nine  years  his 
sister's  senior  and  no  other  children  had  come 
between,  and  the  lad's  love  for  her  was  a 
source  of  wonder  for  all  who  saw  them  to- 
gether. The  previous  Fall  he  had  been  sent 
to  Forest  Heights  Academy  to  prepare  for 
Annapolis,  for  since  a  tiny  child  the  Navy  had 
been  to  him  his  Lode  Star. 

His  parents  had  not  approved  the  choice; 
there  seemed  a  much  broader  field  for  their 
only  son  in  the  line  of  his  father's  profession, 
that  of  Patent  Law,  in  which  he  had  made  an 
enviable  name  for  himself,  but  they  were  too 
wise  to  combat  his  predilections,  realizing  that 
a  lad's  viewpoint  may  change  many  times  be- 
tween six  and  sixteen.  But  from  a  tiny  child 
the  sight  of  the  great  battleships  swinging  at 
their  anchors  upon  the  broad  reaches  of  the 
Hudson  at  the  foot  of  his  street  had  thrown 
the  small  man  into  a  perfect  frenzy  of  enthus- 
iasm, and  as  long  as  they  held  their  anchorage 
there  he  fairly  hovered  upon  the  Riverside 
Drive.  More  than  once  he  had  gone  aboard 


28  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

when  his  parents  went  as  guests  of  some  of  the 
officers,  who  were  not  long  in  discovering  the 
secret  of  his  enthusiasm.  'It  was  considered  a 
good  joke  among  them  to  send  a  boat  ashore 
for  the  "Future  Admiral,"  as  they  dubbed 
him,  and  beg  his  mother  to  hand  him  over  for 
an  hour  or  two.  And  what  hours  they  were 
to  the  eight-year-old  boy! 

But  all  this  happened  before  the  little 
Daisy  Maiden  entered  the  world.  He  was 
nearly  ten  when  she  came.  He  was  nearly 
fourteen  when  she  was  injured;  a  fine,  self- 
contained,  manly  little  chap,  and  adored  by 
the  Easter  sister,  for  she  had  entered  his 
world  upon  an  Easter  day  which  had  come 
much  earlier  in  the  season  than  the  one  which 
had  brought  sorrow  rather  than  gladness.  A 
little  March  baby,  whose  birthstone  was  the 
Bloodstone  of  Courage  and  Loyal  Affection, 
and  whose  birth  color  was  the  rosy  pink  of  her 
own  soft  cheeks. 

They  named  her  Hope  because  to  them  she 
was  the  living  incarnation  of  Hope.  As  she 


AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY  29 

grew  older  they  realized  that  they  might  with 
equal  fitness  have  named  her  Faith  or  Charity, 
for  she  seemed  to  typify  all  three  virtues. 
Had  she  been  born  in  the  days  of  her  Puritan 
ancestors  she  might  have  been  named  Love. 
That  also  would  have  suited  her,  for  she  in- 
stantly won  the  love  of  all  with  whom  she  came 
in  contact. 

And  the  six  Easter  days  which  have  passed 
since  the  events  told  of  in  the  opening  chapter? 

What  milestones  of  the  six  years  they  had 
been!  Never  from  that  wonderful  Sunday 
morning  to  the  one  now  drawing  near,  had  the 
little  Daisy  Maiden  stepped  foot  upon  the 
floor.  For  a  time  none  save  the  physicians 
and  nurses  realized  the  gravity  of  the  case,  or 
its  seeming  hopelessness,  and  even  they,  in 
spite  of  their  scientific  knowledge  and  judge- 
ment refrained  from  whispering  the  terrible 
conviction  which  each  day  was  strengthening. 
She  was  taken  abroad  during  the  first  year  and 
the  finest  surgical  skill  of  the  continent  was 
engaged,  and  becoming  intensely  interested, 


30  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

concentrated  their  efforts  to  bring  about  the 
restoration  of  health  to  the  beautiful  child 
with  whom  everyone  promptly  fell  in  love. 
But  nothing  had  availed.  The  hip  so  cruelly 
crushed,  the  limb  so  shortened  did  not  yield 
to  their  treatment.  The  little  back  was  too 
weak  to  remain  in  an  upright  position  long. 

All  that  science  could  do  or  wealth  command 
ministered  to  the  little  patient  every  hour  of 
the  day  and  night.  She  was  never  alone  a 
moment  and  the  devotion  of  parents,  physi- 
cians, brother  or  hirelings  invariably  incited 
the  wonder  of  all  who  witnessed  it. 

And  now  another  Easter  draws  nigh  in  the 
lovely  home  in  West  -  — th  Street,  and  we'll 
peep  into  it  to  see  the  Daisy  Maiden  after  six 
years  of  helplessness.  She  is  still  called  by 
that  name,  given  her  by  an  old  Quaker  gen- 
tleman whose  home  is  upon  the  opposite  side 
of  the  street,  because  she  had  almost  invari- 
ably brought  to  him  either  a  cluster  of  the 
wild  daisies  gathered  from  their  nooks  and 
crannies  along  Riverside  Drive  when  she 


AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY  3 1 

walked  there  with  Lizette,  or  the  marguerites 
from  the  Florist's  shop  on  Columbus  Avenue. 
She  loved  these  flowers  of  the  sunshine  beyond 
all  others  and  because  of  her  passion  for  them 
had  been  given  the  name  of  "The  Daisy 
Maiden." 

The  entire  third  floor  of  the  great  house 
was  given  over  to  the  little  girl  and  her  at- 
tendants. The  large  room  with  its  bowed 
window  overlooking  the  broad  street,  was 
turned  into  a  sunny  bower  where  flowering 
plants  drank  in  the  sunshine,  and  birds  piped 
and  sang.  This  was  the  altar  of  that  house- 
hold, for  in  it  stood  the  wonderful  iron  cot 
upon  which  Hope  spent  the  greater  part  of  her 
life.  It  was  a  cot  especially  designed  for  her 
needs.  It  could  be  converted  into  almost 
anything  from  a  swing  to  a  carriage,  for  it 
had  braces  and  suspending  swings;  rubber- 
cushion  wheels  to  run  it  thither  or  yonder;  an 
adjustable  table — oh,  more  than  a  page  could 
describe — yet  all  so  hidden  by  lovely  pink 


32  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

draperies  that  one  never  guessed  all  its  pos- 
sibilities. 

And  there  it  could  stand  in  its  sunny  win- 
dow or  be  rolled  into  a  little  curtained  alcove 
if  the  beloved  patient  grew  weary  or  wished  to 
sleep. 

And  the  room  itself!  Could  anything  be 
lovelier?  The  floor  was  of  some  wonderful 
highly  polished  wood,  almost  white  in  color 
and  upon  it  lay  beautiful  rose-colored  rugs, 
made  especially  for  this  room.  The  furnish- 
ings were  white  enameled  wood  or  white 
wicker  with  rose  upholstering.  The  walls 
were  done  in  panels  of  the  most  delicate  pink. 
The  hangings  were  of  the  most  exquisite  silks 
or  fairy-like  lace.  The  electric  fixtures  of 
silver  with  skillfully  contrived  shades  of  ar- 
tistic stained  glass.  The  fireplace  and  mantel 
of  white  and  silver. 

And  everywhere  palms,  growing  plants, 
bowls  of  gold  fish,  birds  in  cages,  and  in  one 
corner  a  superb  macaw,  white  as  driven  snow 
excepting  his  rose-colored  crest,  sat  upon  his 


AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY  33 

silver  bar.  On  the  cushion  beside  the  hearth 
slept  a  white  Persian  cat.  Beside  the  little 
invalid's  cot  lay  a  snowy  Russian  Poodle,  rare 
as  priceless,  each  adorned  with  rose-colored 
bows  upon  their  collars.  Ah,  it  was  a  won- 
derful study  in  white  and  rose  that  beautiful 
sunny  room,  and  from  it  opened  a  little 
conservatory,  suspended  almost  like  a  Moor- 
ish balcony,  for  the  house  had  a  rare  luxury 
for  a  city  house, — a  side  garden.  Mr.  Curtis 
had  declined  to  sell  the  twenty  feet  of  land 
which  lay  at  the  West  side  of  it  in  spite  of  the 
almost  incredible  sums  offered  him,  or  the  ac- 
cusation of  being  "a  short  sighted  idiot  not  to 
sell  when  the  land  was  worth  its  weight  in 
gold."  That  might  be,  but  the  little  daughter 
lying  up  there  in  her  fairy  palace  was  worth 
a  thousand  times  more  to  him  than  all  the 
land  on  the  globe,  and  he  meant  to  keep  that 
space  free  for  the  Western  sunlight  to  flood 
her  windows,  for  the  Western  sunsets  to  paint 
their  glowing  colors  over  the  Palisades  across 
the  big  river;  for  the  evening  star  to  peep  in 


34  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

upon  her,  or  the  crescent  moon  to  hang  its 
silver  sickle  for  her  delight;  for  the  majestic 
river  to  flow  by,  and  above  all,  bear  upon  its 
bosom  the  stately  battleships,  for  ere  long 
Raymond  Curtis,  Jr.,  would  be  upon  one  of 
them.  He  was  now  at  Annapolis  a  second 
classman.  During  the  coming  year  he  would 
graduate,  at  least,  during  the  next  academic 
year. 

So  the  land  was  never  sold  and  the  outlook 
from  the  western  window  remained  as  it  had 
been  when  Mr.  Curtis  built  his  home. 

And  the  other  rooms  on  that  floor?  Next 
the  living-room  was  the  bed-room,  all  a  soft 
pearly  white  and  gold  like  the  Daisy  Maiden 
herself,  for  the  cheeks  which  had  once  been  so 
round  and  rosy  were  less  round  after  six- 
years  of  invalidism,  though  the  rich  golden 
bronze  hair  was  as  wonderful — yes,  more  won- 
derful— than  ever.  Beyond  the  bed  room 
was  a  model  bathroom  and  beyond  that  an- 
other room  filled  with  the  most  bewildering 
collection  of  toys — toys  bought  or  sent  from 


AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY  35 

every  country  producing  them.  Then  other 
rooms  for  the  attendants,  the  two  trained 
nurses  for  day  and  night  duty,  and  Lizette's 
room.  Only  one  more  room  remains  to  be 
described.  It  is  separated  from  the  others 
by  double  doors.  It's  floor,  walls,  ceiling  are 
all  of  spotless  white  tiling.  It's  light  comes 
from  above.  It's  furnishings?  Alas!  From 
the  luxury  of  a  wonderful  home  we  step  into 
the  operating  room  of  a  hospital.  All  too 
eloquently  does  it  tell  its  story  of  the  life  of  the 
lovely  little  girl  lying  upon  the  wheeled  cot  in 
the  sunny  window.  If  human  love  can  min- 
ister to  comfort  and  give  delight,  it  must  at 
times  subject  its  object  to  torture  also.  But 
we  will  not  dwell  upon  that.  We  will  keep 
to  our  sunny  window  and  try  to  see  only  the 
sunny  side  of  this  little  child  born  to  life's 
greatest  luxuries,  tenderest  love  and  ceaseless 
devotion  but  burdened  with  incessant  pain 
and  often  the  cruelest  suffering.  Nor  can  we 
ask  "Why?"  Perhaps  the  answer  will  come 
as  the  story  goes  on. 


36  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

It  is  ten  o'clock  on  Saturday  morning.  The 
month  is  April.  The  morrow  will  be  Easter. 
The  day  is  gloriou&ly  clear  and  sunny,  and  so 
mild  that  the  windows  are  raised,  and  the 
filmy  lace  curtains  are  swaying  in  the  soft 
spring  wind.  Beyond  them  the  trees  have 
budded  into  a  delicate  green  over  night,  the 
result  of  a  gentle  April  shower.  The  city 
sparrows  are  chirping  madly,  quarreling,  as 
usual,  over  their  domestic  affairs. 

Up  from  the  river  rises  a  salty  tang  for  the 
tide  is  flowing  in  from  the  bay.  Down  in  the 
broad  street  all  is  a  stirring  bustle  of  pending 
events,  for  all  must  be  in  readiness  for  the 
morrow.  Tradesmen's  wagons  are  hurrying 
to  and  fro,  delivering  the  morning  marketing. 
Florists'  wagons,  laden  with  gorgeous  flower- 
ing plants  or  boxes  of  cut  flowers  are  hastening 
from  house  to  house,  while  small  itinerant 
flower  merchants  carrying  their  trays  of  daf- 
fodils, narcissi,  violets,  roses,  or  marguerites, 
are  offering  their  wares  to  every  passer-by, 
meanwhile  keeping  "one  eye  batted  for  de 


AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY  37 

cops,"   for,   alack!     street   vendors   are   not 
popular  with  that  fraternity. 

Interspersed  with  all  this  pleasant  bustle 
are  the  tooting  honkings,  or  wailing  horns  of 
the  innumerable  motor  cars  speeding  up  and 

down,  for th  Street  is  a  broad  one  and  a 

popular  highway  to  the  Drive  a  few  hundred 
feet  beyond. 

All  has  a  festive  air  of  joyous  anticipation 
as  though  all  the  world  were  upon  the  alert 
for  some  great  event. 

And  up  in  that  sunny  window? 

The  silken  draped  cot  is  drawn  close  to 
them, — it  is  one  of  the  little  Daisy  Maiden's 
"easy  days."  The  perfect  mechanism  of  the 
cot  enables  her  to  lie  in  almost  any  position. 
Today  it  is  swinging  gently  like  a  luxurious 
hammock  and  is  slightly  raised  in  order  that 
she  may  look  down  into  the  street.  Over  the 
white  embroidered  down  pillow  the  golden 
curls  lie  in  luxuriant  masses  of  heaped-up 
spun  gold,  the  lovely  smiling  face  resting 
against  the  mass  of  curls.  The  wonderful 


38  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

eyes  of  the  softest,  deepest  hazel  are  alight  with 
pleasure;  the  perfect  lips  smiling  their  rare 
smile  revealing  the  faultless  teeth.  The  pretty 
hands  upon  the  couch  cover  are  filled  with 
flowers;  marguerites  and  violets  which  har- 
monize wonderfully  with  the  white  and  gold- 
embroidered  Japanese  kimono  the  little  invalid 
wears.  Just  at  hand  on  a  small  table  stands 
a  telephone  made  of  aluminum,  of  feather- 
weight for  weak  hands  to  hold.  At  that  very 
moment  its  silvery  bell  tinkles  its  summons 
and  with  a  bright  smile  Hope  raises  it,  lifts 
off  the  receiver  and  holds  it  to  her  ear.  A  soft 
little  laugh  bubbles  to  her  lips  as  she  listens 
to  the  speaker  at  the  other  end  of  the  line. 

"Yes,  in  my  window,  of  course.  Looking 
out  at  all  the  people  passing  and  the  flowers. 
In  an  hour?  The  same  thing  maybe.  Really? 
Lovely!  What  shall  I  order?  Let  it  be  a  sur- 
prise? Good!  Mother?  She  has  gone  over  to 
St.  Stephen's  to  take  my  posies  for  me.  I  can 
hear  the  choir  boys  practicing  their  carols  this 
minute.  Yes,  she  will  be  back  soon  and  I  will 


AS  THE  YEARS  PASS  BY  39 

tell  her.  We'll  have  a  really-truly  picnic, 
shall  we  Daddy?  Right  here  in  Ruhevoll. 
I'll  count  the  minutes  and  be  all  ready  when 
you  come.  Yes.  Good-by.  Good-by." 

The  little  receiver  was  clicked  back  upon 
its  rack  and  the  sweet  voice  called: 

"Oh,  Lizette!  Lizette!  Come  quickly! 
Such  a  message  from  Daddy.  He  will  be  up 
for  luncheon  and  we  are  to  have  it  right  here 
— a  really-truly-make-believe  picnic.  Please 
call  Miss  Forrester.  She  will  be  sure  to  have 
some  wonderful  surprise  suggestion  to  make. 
She  always  has." 

A  moment  later  the  trained  nurse  entered 
the  room.  The  same  who  had  entered  the 
home  six  years  before.  How  little  she  had 
changed.  She  is  not  the  type  of  woman  upon 
whom  years  tell.  The  same  gentle  gracious 
manner;  the  same  tranquility;  her  presence  a 
benediction. 


CHAPTER  III 

AN  INDOOR  PICNIC 

"Well,  little  sunshiny  lady,  what  can  I  do 
for  you?"  asked  Miss  Forrester,  as  she  came 
to  the  side  of  the  cot  and  laid  her  hand  caress- 
ingly upon  the  golden  head. 

Hope  smiled  up  at  her  as  she  answered: 

"What  do  you  think?  Daddy  had  just 
phoned  that  he  will  be  home  in  time  to  take 
luncheon  with  me,  right  up  here  in  Ruhevoll! 
Isn't  that  lovely?" 

"Very,  but  he  has  managed  to  do  that  now 
and  again,"  smiled  Miss  Forrester.  " About 
twice  a  week,  eh?  But  the  event  never  palls, 
does  it,  dear?" 

"How  could  it?  He  is  Daddy,  you  know, 
and  such  a  busy  one,  too.  I  often  wonder  how 
he  spares  the  time,"  and  Hope  wagged  her 


AN  INDOOR  PICNIC  41 

head  as  though  the  question  were  too  momen- 
tous for  her  to  solve. 

"And  do  you  think  there  is  anything  in  this 
world  which  'Daddy'  would  not  try  to  com- 
pass for  the  little  lady  of  Ruhevoll,  or  fail  to 
make  time  for?  But  tell  me  what  can  I  do  for 
you  this  time,  for  I  judge  it  is  to  be  a  very 
special  occasion  because  it  is  an  Easter  cele- 
bration, if  just  a  few  hours  ahead  of  time." 

"Why  yes,  Daddy  said,  'We'll  have  a  regu- 
lar, old-fashioned  picnic,'  and  I  want  to  sur- 
prise him  by  really  having  one.  Now  how 
can  we?  A  really,  truly  picnic,  as  though  we 
were  out  in  the  woods  eating  our  luncheon 
under  the  trees?  You  know  people  really  do 
have  such  picnics,  and  though  I  have  never 
been  to  one  myself  I  know  all  about  them,  be- 
cause Beatrice  told  me  about  one  she  went  to 
up  at  Lenox  last  fall.  It  must  have  been 
truly  wonderful.  Why  just  think,  Miss  For- 
rester, there  were  twenty  boys  and  girls,  and 
they  went  up  into  the  mountains  and  played 
all  sorts  of  games,  and  their  luncheon  was 


42  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

spread  on  a  big  white  cloth  right  on  the  grass 
beneath  the  trees.  Don't  you  think  that 
would  be  great  fun?  And  you  know  that 
some  day,  yes,  before  so  very,  very  long,  I  am 
going  to  do  such  things,  too.  I  shall  not  have 
to  lie  here  always.  Just  a  little  while  longer. 
Aren't  you  glad?"  and  one  hand  reached  up 
to  clasp  the  nurse's  firm,  white  one  and  carry 
it  to  her  cheek. 

"That  will  be  the  proudest  and  happiest  day 
of  my  life,  honey,"  but  Miss  Forrester  turned 
quickly  to  look  out  of  the  window,  for  her  eyes 
had  grown  suddenly  dim. 

It  had  always  been  the  same  optimistic  out- 
look. Never  during  the  six,  long  helpless 
years  of  suffering  and  patient  waiting  had 
there  ever  been  any  other.  "In  just  a  little 
while"  had  been  the  epitome  of  Hope's  gospel. 
Or  "when  the  right  time  comes."  The  child 
seemed  obsessed  with  the  idea  that  at  a  given 
time  health  and  strength  would  be  restored, 
by  some  means  quite  out  of  the  ordinary.  It 
was  a  strange  hope,  an  unfaltering  trust,  but 


AN  INDOOR  PICNIC  43 

since  she  was  an  Easter  child  it  must  be  realized. 
And  thus  the  years  had  passed  by, — dragged 
by,  for  those  whose  hope  and  faith  were  less 
vital,  but  had  slipped  by  for  the  little  girl 
waiting  so  patiently,  yet  often  in  such  cruel 
suffering.  Never  one  word  of  complaint, 
never  a  trace  of  rebellion  at  the  cruel  fate 
which  held  her  a  helpless  prisoner  while  her 
companions  were  enjoying  their  rightful  her- 
itage of  childish  frolic  and  freedom.  How  she 
found  sunshine,  pleasure  and,  yes,  even  humor 
in  her  shadow  world  of  pain  was  a  constant 
source  of  marvel  to  all  who  knew  her.  But 
the  fact  remained  that  she  did.  Not  only 
found  them  herself  but  contrived  to  share 
them  with  others.  The  six  years  had  been  one 
long  record  of  her  ability  to  do  so. 

"How  soon  will  Mr.  Curtis  be  here,  dear?" 
"Between  twelve  and  one,  he  said.     Have 
you  a  plan?"  asked  Hope  eagerly. 

"Let  me  put  on  my  thinking  cap,"  cried 
Miss  Forrester,  catching  up  a  funny  Japanese 
head-dress  which  one  of  Hope's  many  friends 


44  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

had  sent  her,  and  adjusting  it  upon  her  im- 
maculate white  cap. 

Hope  cried  out:  "Oh,  you  have  crushed 
your  dear,  dainty  cap!" 

"Then  I'll  find  a  fresh  one,  but  I  must  have 
a  thinking  cap,"  laughed  the  nurse. 

"Miss  Forrestaire  look  like  ze  Chinese  god- 
dess of  what  you  say?  Get  ze  luck?"  com- 
mented Lizette.  But  Miss  Forrester  was  sit- 
ting opposite  the  cot,  her  chin  in  her  cupped 
hands  and  a  most  introspective  look  upon  her 
face. 

Hope  pressed  her  finger  to  her  lips  to  enjoin 
silence,  lest  a  wonderful  thought  be  lost.  The 
next  moment  Miss  Forrester  sprang  from  her 
seat,  clapped  her  hands,  tossed  the  thinking 
cap  upon  the  table  and  cried: 

"I  have  it  and  we  can  do  it  beautifully!" 

"Oh,  what?  What  is  it?"  was  Hope's  eager 
question. 

"Count  one  hundred  very  slowly  and  by  that 
time  I'll  be  back  to  tell  you,"  laughed  Miss 
Forrester,  as  she  hurried  from  the  room. 


AN  INDOOR  PICNIC  45 

"Oh,  Lizette,  I  think  she's  a  perfect  dear, 
don't  you?  She  is  so  clever  at  thinking  up 
delightful  things." 

"Oui,  certainement!  And  why  not?  It  is 
pour  ma  cherie,"  was  Lizette's  reply,  as  though 
there  were  no  further  room  for  argument. 

"And  now  I  must  count." 

Slowly  the  words  dropped  from  the  soft 
lips: 

"One  two  three,"  until  one 

hundred  had  been  counted.  At  the  last  word 
Miss  Forrester  re-entered  the  room  followed 
by  Saito,  the  Japanese  butler,  and  Michael, 
the  general  handy-man  of  the  household. 
Saito  almost  kowtowed  before  the  occupant  of 
the  cot.  To  his  Japanese,  beauty-worshiping 
soul  this  room  was  a  shrine  which  held  the 
imprisoned  spirit  of  a  goddess.  She  was  too 
beautiful,  too  adorable,  far  too  perfect  in  his 
sight  to  be  a  mere,  suffering  little  child.  But 
to  the  big  Celt  she  was  "Wan  av  the  holy 
saints,  sure,"  and  Michael  was  prepared  for 
any  miracle.  She  was  a  fitting  object  of 


46  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

miracles,  and  the  good  soul  had  more  than 
once  held  forth  upon  that  fact  in  the  servant's 
hall  below  stairs.  So,  while  Saito  was  bowing 
and  wishing  the  honorable  one  untold  joys  and 
blessings,  and  Michael  was  saying  in  his  honest 
Hibernian : 

"God  love  ye  and  saints  rest  ye,  what  kin 
Michael  be  doin'  fer  ye,  darlint?"  Miss  For- 
rester was  rapidly  talking  to  Saito,  whose  little 
black  eyes  snapped  with  comprehension. 

"Yes,  yes.  I  run  to  the  telephony,  in  five- 
ten — minute  I  have  Kozo  San,  then  we  mage 
all  same  like  forest, — tree — bush — flower,  bird 
— yes,  so  beau-ti-ful  for  Yoshi-Ko  (the  lov- 
able lady).  Then  we  run  to  mage  the  peek- 
neek  for  Curtis-Sama  and  the  Okka-san  (the 
honorable  mother).  Yes,  all  so  queek.  Mech- 
al  he  do  the  great  move.  Ah?"  and  away  flew 
the  little  Jap  to  the  telephone,  where,  having 
gotten  his  call,  he  was  presently  jabbering 
away  volubly  in  his  native  tongue,  and,  as 
events  proved,  to  some  purpose,  for  within 
half  an  hour  there  arrived  upon  the  scene  the 


AN  INDOOR  PICNIC  47 

desired  "Kozo-San,"  and  with  him  great 
sprays  of  cherry  blossoms,  flowering  quince 
and  forsythia.  Then  began  a  transformation. 
The  pink  rugs  were  taken  up  and  replaced  by 
a  large,  moss-green  one  from  another  room. 
Tall  palms,  great  rubber  plants,  blossoming 
azaleas,  marguerites,  spirea,  tulips,  daffodils 
and  hyacinths  appeared  as  by  magic.  The 
bird  cages  were  suspended  from  the  rubber 
plants,  fluffy  rabbits  which  had  lived  in  the 
play  room  (alas,  almost  misnamed)  peeped  out 
from  beneath  clumps  of  fern  in  the  most  real- 
istic manner,  as  though  spying  upon  the  human 
beings  who  had  invaded  their  bosky  haunts. 
The  macaw  chattered  from  a  thicket  of  palms. 
In  short,  the  living  room,  under  Saito's  magi- 
cal directing  and  the  ready  co-operation  of 
Michael,  Kozo,  Miss  Forrester  and  Lizette, 
was  transformed  into  a  sylvan  retreat,  and 
Hope  was  in  an  ecstacy  of  delight. 

Then  all  that  remained  was  to  find  a  resting 
place  for  fairy  queen,  and  this  Saito's  fertile 
brain  promptly  compassed.  Cushions  were 


48  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

placed  beneath  a  bower  of  palms,  and  the 
mattress  from  the  cot  laid  upon  them. 

When  all  this  was  accomplished,  Saito  pro- 
ceeded to  decorate  his  little  goddess  with 
cherry-blossoms,  and  a  wonderful  picture  she 
made  as  she  rested  there.  Titania  in  her 
bower  could  not  have  been  lovelier. 

"And  now,  Saito  mage  the  tiffin  to  be 
alaready  so  time  Curtis-sama's  car  pershoo- 
pershoo  up  to  gutter-stone.  Yes,  me,  Saito! 
Kozo-San  can  help,  but  Saito  mage,"  and 
away  he  sped. 

It  was  striking  twelve-thirty  when  Mr. 
Curtis'  "pershoo-pershoo"  car  rolled  silently 
up  to  the  "gutter-stone."  He  glanced  up  at 
the  window  where  he  hoped  to  see  the  beloved 
face  watching  for  him,  and  a  slight  apprehen- 
sion overspread  his  own  when  he  failed  to  see 
it,  but  Saito  had  the  door  open  before  he  could 
mount  the  steps,  and  his  smiling  countenance 
dispelled  the  master's  alarm. 

"Ahayo!  Ahayo!  Saito  take  Curtis-sama's 
honorable  coat?  Will  the  honorable  one's 


AN  INDOOR  PICNIC  49 

honorable  feet  make  haste  to  fly  to  the 
Takamiya  above?*  The  Yoshi-Ko  waits." 

Mr.  Curtis  smiled,  thanked  the  little  man 
and  let  his  own  "honorable  feet"  bear  him  up 
stairs.  At  the  head  Mrs.  Curtis  met  him. 
She  had  not  been  allowed  to  enter  Ruhevoll, 
and  was  as  impatient  as  a  girl  for  the  surprise 
which  she  had  been  told  awaited  her  and  Mr. 
Curtis  there.  Saito  followed  quickly  to  at- 
tend to  his  master's  needs.  This  took  but  a 
few  moments  and  then,  with  great  ceremony, 
many  bows  and  beaming  smiles,  he  ushered 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  up  to  Ruhevoll,  where 
Miss  Forrester  greeted  them  and  a  cheery 
voice  from  within  called: 

"Oh,  Daddy,  Mother,  come  quickly!  Come 
quickly!  And  isn't  it  lovely?" 

Beneath  the  palms  lay  Hope.  Near  her 
was  spread  a  snowy  cloth  and  -upon  it  stood  as 
ideal  a  picnic  luncheon  as  ever  could  have 
been  placed  beneath  forest  boughs.  Even 
the  picnic  hamper  was  at  hand,  for  Saito  had 

*Saito's  translation  of  Ruhevoll. 


50  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

omitted  nothing  to  make  everything  realistic 
for  his  little  Hinohime  (his  Princess  of  the 
Sun),  as  he  often  called  her,  and  Saito  himself 
was  at  hand  to  serve  the  feast,  arrayed  in 
white  duck,  spotless  and  immaculate. 

"Why,  what  is  all  this?  Where  are  we?" 
cried  Mr.  Curtis,  as  he  bent  down  to  kiss  the 
radiant  face  beneath  the  palms. 

"This  is  fairy-land,  Daddy.  A  transfor- 
mation in  your  honor — and  Mother's,  too," 
she  added  quickly.  "You  must  sit  here  be- 
side the  picnic  spread  and  we'll  all  make  be- 
lieve. Come  Miss  Forrester,  you  are  a  pick- 
nicker,  too,  you  know.  Isn't  it  lovely?  Miss 
Forrester  and  Saito  and  Michael  and — and— 
oh,  everybody  did  it.  What  should  we  do 
without  Saito.  Ah,  Saito,  you  must  not  go 
back  to  Japan.  No.  You  will  not." 

An  odd  expression  flashed  for  one  second 
across  the  face  of  the  little  Japanese  butler. 
Then  it  was  gone.  No  one  noticed  it,  and  he 
smiled  and  bowed  as  he  said: 

"Saito  no  can  go  while  Yoshi-Ko  stay.    He 


AN  INDOOR  PICNIC  51 

must  pray  to  Jizo  (the  kind  god  who  helps 
children  across  the  river  of  death)  to  make 
some  absence.  The  honorable  god  find  plenty 
do  somewhere  else,"  and  Saito  pointed  vaguely 
toward  the  window.  His  hearer's  little  guess- 
ed that  he  was  even  then  beseeching  Jizo  to 
betake  his  honorable  self  into  some  quarter 
of  the  world  where  the  passing  of  a  child  would 
not,  could  not,  mean  what  it  would  mean  if 
Jizo  called  this  one.  " Saito  no  can  mage  alive 
some  more  unless  in  Taka-miya  with  Ama- 
terasie  no  Oho-Kami.  (In  the  high  shrine  of 
his  Sun-goddess.) 

"Oh,  Saito,  how  shall  I  ever  learn  those 
wonderful  Japanese  words?  You  must  tell 
me  what  they  mean.  Will  you  write  them 
down  for  me?" 

"For surely.  Someday.  Vellysoon.  Now 
must  mage  the  hurry  to  serve  the  honorable 
Okka-san,"  and  Saito  passed  a  delicious  dish 
to  Mrs.  Curtis,  resting  beneath  the  macaw's 
cage,  her  pillow  piled  high  about  her. 

"This  is  the  most  wonderful  picnic  I  have 


52  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

ever  attended.  We  are  much  indebted  to  all 
who  helped  arrange  it  for  us,"  she  said. 

For  more  than  an  hour  the  unique  picnic 
brought  joy  to  the  little  invalid  and  happiness 
to  those  who  shared  her  pleasure.  Miss  For- 
rester, however,  was  constantly  on  the  alert 
for  signs  of  fatigue  in  her  patient.  The  feast 
had  nearly  ended  and  she  was  about  to  suggest 
that  her  charge  had  been  allowed  about  as 
much  excitement  as  was  prudent,  when  she 
was  called  from  the  room  by  the  assistant 
nurse,  and  was  detained  longer  than  she  ex- 
pected to  be. 

Meanwhile,  hi  the  indoor  bower,  Saito  had 
just  passed  to  Mrs.  Curtis  a  most  amazing 
creation  which  caused  her  to  ask: 

"Ah,  Saito,  have  you  invoked  some  magical 
power  to  create  this  wonderful  dish?" 

"Ah,  no!  No  made  magic.  Ill  omen  of 
the  Hinohime.  Ad  Japan  we  mage  this  dish 
for  the  great  princess,  her  imperial  majesty. 
Okka-san  mage  try?"  and  Saito  bowed  deep- 

ly. 


AN  INDOOR  PICNIC  53 

Mrs.  Curtis  had  just  conveyed  to  her  plate 
a  most  realistic  bird's-nest,  in  which  two  fluffy 
birds  nestled,  when  a  soft  sigh  caused  her  to 
turn  toward's  Hope's  couch.  The  little  girl 
had  quietly  fainted. 


CHAPTER  IV 

SAITO 

In  the  consternation  which  followed  upon 
Hope's  fainting  turn,  no  one  noticed  the  in- 
describable horror  depicted  upon  Saito's  face. 
It  became  ashen  gray;  the  peculiar,  uncanny 
gray  of  the  native  of  the  far  East,  unknown  to 
the  Caucasian  complexion. 

Hope  was  immediately  taken  into  her  sleep- 
ing-room and  everything  done  for  her  that 
skill  or  science  cculd  command,  and  within 
a  short  time  was  restored  to  consciousness. 
Though  weak  and  crushed  as  one  of  the  tall 
Easter  lilies  which,  in  the  confusion  of  remov- 
ing her  to  her  room,  had  been  overturned  and 
broken. 

Saito  now  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  de- 
serted room  and  regarded  the  pretty  little 
bower,  so  lately  the  scene  of  such  happiness., 


SA1TO  55 

What  was  passing  in  his  Oriental  mind? 
Saito  had  been  in  Mr.  Curtis'  employ  nearly  a 
year,  taking  the  place  of  a  former  Japanese 
butler,  who  had  been  called  home  to  Japan  to 
serve  his  allotted  time  in  the  army.  The 
change  had  been  very  unexpected,  nor  could 
Matsuyo  in  the  least  understand  his  recall. 
He  had  been  with  Mr.  Curtis  ever  since  Hope 
was  born,  was  devoted  to  the  family  and  the 
child,  and  greatly  distressed  at  the  thought  of 
leaving  them.  Nevertheless,  it  was  the  order 
of  the  Mikado,  and,  oddly  enough,  coincident 
with  Matsuyo's  recall,  Saito  applied  for  the 
position,  and  that  fact  had  puzzled  Mr.  Curtis 
not  a  little.  So  far  as  he  knew  not  a  soul  out- 
side of  his  own  family  and  Matsuyo  knew  of 
the  pending  change.  Mr.  Curtis  was  a  clever 
man,  exceptionally  able  in  his  profession,  and 
in  very  close  touch  with  the  most  prominent 
men  of  his  country,  especially  those  in  diplo- 
matic and  official  circles.  As  an  able  patent 
lawyer,  his  services  were  much  sought,  and 
.many^an  important  matter  known  only  to 


56  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

government  circles  came  to  his  knowledge. 
But  notwithstanding  his  professional  clever- 
ness, in  private  life  he  was  as  unsuspicious  and 
guileless  as  a  child.  That  there  could  have 
been  the  slightest  co-ordination  in  the  sudden 
recall  of  Matsuyo  and  the  appearance  of  Saito 
never  occurred  to  his  Occidental  mind,  and, 
man  of  high  intellectual  attainments  though 
he  was,  the  working  of  the  Oriental  mind  was 
beyond  his  comprehension,  for  truly  "the 
West  and  the  East  can  never  meet."  So 
Matsuyo,  sorely  against  his  inclination,  went 
back  to  Japan,  and  Saito,  who  had  come  with 
exceptional  recommendations,  was  installed 
in  his  place. 

All  this  had  happened  the  previous  May, 
and  during  those  eleven  months  a  most  ex- 
traordinary change  had  taken  place  in  Saito. 

At  first  he  was  singularly  reserved  and 
taciturn,  though  invariably  most  deferential 
and  punctilious  in  the  performance  of  his 
duties.  Indeed,  in  many  ways  he  surpassed 
Matsuyo,  inasmuch  as  Saito  seemed  to  possess 


SA1TO  57 

finer  feeling,  a  more  correct  idea  of  the  little 
courtesies  of  life.  In  short  he  seemed  of  much 
higher  caste  than  Matsuyo,  though  the  lat- 
ter's  disposition  and  tireless  devotion  to  his 
employers,  especially  to  his  Etsu-Ko,  as  he 
often  called  Hope  (his  little  lady  of  delight), 
had  made  his  services  a  joy  to  the  entire  house- 
hold. Saito  proved  equally  attentive  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Curtis,  but  owing  to  the  fact  that 
Hope  had  been  very  ill  during  the  first  month 
of  his  service  he  had  not  even  seen  her.  Then, 
one  glorious  June  morning  she  had  been  pro- 
nounced strong  enough  to  be  taken  out  in  the 
big  motor  car  for  a  breath  of  air  from  the  river 
she  so  loved  and  the  smooth-running  Packard 
drew  up  to  the  door.  To  Saito  and  good 
Michael  was  intrusted  the  litter  to  be  carried 
down  to  the  motor  car. 

When  Saito  entered  Ruhevoll  for  the  first 
time  and  saw  the  golden-haired  child  lying 
in  the  sunshine,  the  beautiful,  almost  ethereal, 
little  face  smiling  up  at  him,  he  stopped  as 
suddenly  as  though  petrified.  Although  some- 


58  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

what  puzzled  by  his  conduct,  Hope  attributed 
it  to  his  awe  of  her  helplessness,  for  the  Jap- 
anese have  strange  superstitions  concerning 
sickness.  Hope  had  gathered  something  of 
this  from  Matsuyo.  So,  thinking  to  over- 
come his  dismay,  she  raised  one  hand  and  held 
it  toward  him,  as  she  smiled  and  said  in  her 
soft,  sweet  voice: 

"You  are  Saito?  I  have  not  seen  you  be- 
fore ;  Ohayo  Saito-San."  (Good  morning,  hon- 
orable Saito,  a  Japanese  form  of  kindly 
address  toward  a  menial.) 

The  effect  astonished  every  one  in  the  room : 
Down  dropped  Saito  flat  upon  the  rug  in 
front  of  Hope,  prostrating  himself  as  he  would 
have  done  before  one  of  his  Buddhist  deities, 
uttering  a  perfect  jumble  of  Japanese  words. 

Accustomed  as  she  had  been  from  earliest 
childhood  to  the  extravagant  demonstrations 
of  the  Japanese,  this  was  a  little  beyond  any- 
thing she  had  experienced,  and  Hope  was  em- 
barrassed. 

"Oh,  Saito,  please  get  up.    You  know  we 


SAITO  59 

hardly  understand  your  Japanese  manners 
in  America,"  she  said,  motioning  the  little 
man  to  his  feet,  and  in  so  doing  her  hand  ac- 
cidentally touched  his  head.  Instantly  he 
caught  the  edge  of  the  silken  rug  which  cov- 
ered her  feet  and  bowing  again  to  the  floor 
pressed  it  to  his  forehead,  as  he  murmured: 

"Hai-yaku-hai.  Oho-hiru-me  no  muchi!'' 
("A  hundred  bows!  a  heaven-illumined 
one!")  For  to  Saito's  Oriental  mind  here  was 
the  visible  incarnation  of  his  Sun  Goddess,  and 
the  significance  of  her  presence  in  this  house- 
hold can  only  be  understood  as  the  story 
proceeds.  Why  she  had  chosen  to  appear 
there  in  the  guise  of  a  sick  child  was  not  for 
him,  Saito,  to  even  presume  to  guess.  She 
was  there,  and  while  the  blind  barbarians  who 
sheltered  her  might  see  in  her  only  their 
invalid  daughter,  he,  Saito,  knew  better. 
Those  of  the  Shinto  faith  were  wiser  than  the 
stupid  To-gin.  (Despicably  ignorant  foreign- 
ers.) 

Yes,  she  was  surely  his  Hinohime-Ko    (his 


60  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

honorable  Sun  Princess),  and  as  such  com- 
manded his  absolute  reverence  and  obedience. 

From  that  moment  had  dated  Saito's  tire- 
less, almost  embarrassing  service.  Hope  could 
hardly  draw  a  breath  unwatched  by  him,  and 
more  than  once  Mrs.  Curtis  had  been  tempted 
to  ask  her  husband  to  dismiss  the  man,  his 
omnipresence  at  times  so  disturbed  her,  and 
she  feared  it  might  worry  Hope.  Then  some 
little,  thoughtful  act  upon  Saito's  part  would 
cause  her  to  repent  of  her  prejudice,  and  so  the 
time  had  gone  on. 

Of  course  during  the  eleven  months  of  his 
service,  Hope  had  passed  through  more  than 
one  day  of  distressing  suffering,  or  had  fainted 
from  exhaustion  or  excitement,  but  never  had 
Saito  happened  to  be  present  as  upon  this  oc- 
casion. And  now  he  stood  in  the  deserted 
room  the  very  picture  of  overwhelmed  horror. 
Then  like  lightning  came  the  change  as  his 
eyes  fell  upon  the  potted  purple  hyacinths 
and  the  azaleas.  With  a  low,  animal-like  cry, 
he  pounced  upon  them,  swept  them  pell-mell 


SA1TO  61 

into  a  huge  tray  and  fled  from  the  room  like 
a  shadow.  Five  minutes  later  not  a  vestige 
of  those  baleful  blossoms  remained  to  testify 
that  they  had  ever  graced  Taka-miya,  and  in 
his  own  room,  never  entered  by  any  of  the 
other  servants  of  the  household,  Saito  was 
burning  incense  to  invoke  the  intervention  of 
Ebisu  and  Dai-Koku  (the  gods  of  luck),  be- 
cause the  purple  flower  of  evil  omen  and  the 
azalea  of  ill  luck  had  been  placed  in  the  room 
where,  for  her  own  august  reasons,  the  Sun 
Princess  had  deigned  to  assume  human  form, 
and  while  in  that  form,  submit  to  the  ills  of 
mortals. 

Then  Kwannon  (the  goddess  of  Mercy)  was 
implored  to  forgive  the  honorable  ignorance 
of  these  barbarians  since  literally  they  were 
as  blind  as  a  tiger's  cub.  It  was  a  strange  cer- 
emony but  vitally  significant  to  Saito. 

Hope's  indisposition  was  soon  remedied  with 
rest,  and  in  the  deeper  interests  of  minister- 
ing to  her,  no  thought  was  given  to  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  azaleas  and  purple  hya- 


62  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

cinths,  and  when  Saito,  immaculate  and  im- 
perturbable as  ever,  served  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis'  dinner  at  seven  o'clock,  none  would 
have  suspected  the  fury  and  emotion  which 
barely  a  few  hours  before  had  dominated  the 
little  man,  nor  had  they  suspected  it,  could 
they  have  possibly  gauged  the  cause. 

But  even  while  serving  his  master  and  mis- 
tress Saito,  apparently  impassive,  expert  to  a 
degree,  seeing  and  anticipating  every  need, 
moving  with  the  silence  of  a  shadow,  was  in- 
wardly a  seething  crater  of  conflicting  emo- 
tions, for  that  day  had  been  a  red-letter  one 
for  him.  He,  by  the  grace  of  the  gods,  had 
seen  and  understood  that  which  these  uncouth 
foreigners  could  not  possibly  grasp,  and  hence- 
forth he  was  destined  to  be  nearly  torn  asunder 
by  his  desire  to  obey  the  orders  of  one  in  high 
authority  in  the  Japanese  government  and 
his  duty  to  the  gods  of  his  faith.  For  Saito 
was  not  the  mere  butler  he  seemed,  and  his 
presence  in  Mr.  Curtis'  home  was  fraught  with 
deeper  significance  than  his  unsuspecting 


SAITO  63 

employers  dreamed.     Nay,  would  ever  have 
thought  possible. 

But  within  just  a  few  hours,  the  whole 
scheme  of  things  had  been  changed  for  all 
concerned,  and  but  for  that  little  indoor  pic- 
nic and  its  outcome,  this  story  would  have 
been  quite  a  different  one. 

Saito  had  finished  serving  the  delicious  din- 
ner and  had  withdrawn  his  mistress'  chair, 
bowing  most  deferentially  as  she  rose.  Then 
in  his  queer,  broken  English  he  asked: 

"And  will  the  Okka-san  condescend  to  in- 
form the  humble  Saito  if  his  Yoshi-Ko  mage 
liddle  some  bedder?" 

"Thank  you,  Saito,  your  Yoshi-Ko  is  much 
better.  It  was  not  serious.  We  were  unwise 
to  let  her  sit  up  so  long,  that  is  all.  She  has 
slept  well  and  is  much  refreshed,  and  will  be 
quite  herself  by  tomorrow." 

"That — that — is  bedder.  How  nize.  Saito 
make  prayer  of  thangs  to  Kwannon.  Kwan- 
non  one  kind  go-dees.  Make  all  ride  wid 
Yoshi-Ko  if  Saito  make  'nough  profoun'  sup- 


64  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

plication.  Saito  no  can  see  Yoshi-Ko  for 
liddle  bid  while  whicheven?" 

"You  wish  to  see  Miss  Hope  this  evening, 
Saito?  Is  that  what  you  mean?"  asked  Mrs. 
Curtis  kindly. 

"Yes,  mos'  gracious  Madam.  Saito  can 
see?" 

"I  will  ask  Miss  Forrester  if  she  thinks  it 
wise.  I  fear  she  will  not  approve.  She  has 
kept  Miss  Hope  very  quiet  all  the  afternoon." 

"Saito  no  make  some  noise  as  liddle  bid 
mouse.  Just  in  the  door  one  so  small  minute, 
to  see,  see — the  agustness.  Then  3aito  some 
can  close  eyes  and  mage  a-sleep  ad  nide.  No 
see — no  mage  sleep  nex'  nides." 

"We  will  try  to  insure  your  night's  sleep, 
my  good  Saito,"  smiled  Mrs.  Curtis,  as  she 
passed  from  the  room  followed  by  Mr.  Curtis. 
Could  she  have  seen  the  change  which  swept 
over  the  little  Jap's  face,  she  might  have  won- 
dered whether  a  vast  deal  more  than  the  loss 
of  a  night's  sleep  did  not  depend  upon  his 


SA1TO  65 

"one  liddle  bid  look  upon  the  sun-princess" 
before  he  retired. 

When  Miss  Forrester  was  consulted  she 
demurred.  In  some  way  she  felt  that  Saito 
often  disturbed  her  patient.  Not  intention- 
ally perhaps, — she  gave  him  the  benefit  of  that 
doubt, — but  by  an  indescribable  atmosphere 
which  he  created.  She  could  not  put  it  into 
words,  but  she  felt  it  whenever  Saito  was  pres- 
ent. 

"But  he  asks  for  only  'one  liddle  bit  look 
ad/  "  laughed  Mrs.  Curtis.  "His  devotion  to 
the  child  is,  I  am  forced  to  admit,  just  a  trifle 
trying  at  times,  but  may  he  not  bid  her  good- 
night?" 

"If  he  will  not  come  near  her.  Just  at  the 
door,"  was  Miss  Forrester's  final  dictum,  and 
Saito  was  informed  that  as  Hope  was  about  to 
go  to  sleep,  it  would  be  unwise  for  him  to  do 
more  than  bid  her  good-night  at  her  door. 

Silently  as  a  shadow  he  crept  to  the  door, 
stepped  across  the  threshold  and  made  the 


66  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

bow  he  would  have  made  in  a  temple.  Then, 
with  head  still  bent,  he  said  very  softly: 

"Iro,  iro  arigato.  Shio-giyo  mu-joyo,  oh, 
Ko-no-hana-saku-ja  hime.  Saito  adores,  Saito 
the  understanding  has.  Sleep  well.  Sayon- 
ara,  Sayonara." 

To  Hope,  Mrs.  Curtis  and  Miss  Forrester, 
but  a  small  portion  of  Saito's  good-night 
speech  was  intelligible.  They  understood  that 
"Arigato"  meant  "thank  you,"  and  "Sayon- 
ara" in  simple  English  translation  meant 
"Farewell"  or  "Good-by"  or  even  "good- 
night," but  they  had  not  the  faintest  compre- 
hension of  the  deep  significance  of  the  words 
the  little  man  had  spoken,  or  the  awe  which 
filled  his  soul  as  he  made  his  devotions  to  one 
whom  he  firmly  believed  to  be  a  supernatural 
being. 

His  words  as  near  as  English  can  convey 
their  meaning  were: 

"Many  thanks.  Many  thanks,  oh,  most 
Gracious  One,  radiant  blooming  as  the  flow- 
ers! The  outward  manner  or  seeming  is  not 


SA1TO  67 

always  a  true  index  to  the  inner  being.  Saito 
can  see  deeper  than  these  about  you.  He  un- 
derstands and  consequently  adores.  Peace 
be  between  us  if  we  must  part.  My  adora- 
tion extends  beyond  this  life." 

Then,  as  silently  as  he  had  entered,  Saito 
slipped  away,  and  an  hour  later  was  in  a  dis- 
tant part  of  the  city  in  close  consultation  witb 
an  official  of  his  own  country. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  KENTUCKY  CARDINAL'S  MESSAGE 

Easter  morning.  Spring's  beauty,  peace  and 
calm  over  all.  It  was  eleven  o'clock,  but  Hope 
as  the  result  of  the  previous  day's  excitement, 
was  too  weary  and  weak  to  do  more  than  lie 
quietly  upon  her  cot  in  the  sunny  bay-window 
and  look  out  upon  the  world  of  sunshine  and 
joy  beyond  it,  a  vision  of  light  herself;  the  very 
personification  of  the  Sun  Princess  whom 
Saito  firmly  believed  her  to  be  as  she  laid  there 
bathed  in  the  sun's  radiance,  for  the  curtains 
were  drawn  back  and  the  big  window  was 
flooded  with  its  rays. 

At  this  hour  the  street  was  strangely  quiet, 
nearly  everyone  having  gone  to  services  in 
the  city's  countless  churches.  Now  and  again 
a  caterer's  wagon  clattered  by,  but  for  the 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  69 

most  part  a  Sabbath  calm  had  settled  upon 
that  section  of  New  York. 

How  softly  green  were  the  maples  and 
horse-chestnuts  which  edged  the  sidewalks 
and  bowed  and  swayed  before  Hope's  window 
as  though  waving  to  the  little  girl  who  had 
once  skipped  and  laughed  so  happily  beneath 
their  shade.  How  fresh  and  sweet  were  the 
tiny  patches  of  lawn  in  which  they  grew, 
mowed  the  previous  afternoon,  and  as  the 
result  of  a  shower  during  the  night,  sending  up 
to  Hope's  windows  a  delicious,  refreshing 
fragrance. 

In  the  house  scarcely  a  sound  was  to  be 
heard.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  had  gone  over 
to  St.  Stephen's,  where  the  boy  choir  was  to 
sing  one  of  Hope's  favorite  hymns.  Miss 
Forrester  was  in  the  bedroom  setting  it  in 
order,  for  Hope  had  passed  a  restless  night, 
and  Miss  Forrester  had  moved  her  into  her 
beloved  window  but  a  half  hour  before,  even 
then  questioning  the  wisdom  of  the  little  ex- 
citement which  might  result  from  it.  But 


70  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Hope  seemed  so  happy  in  her  sunshine  that 
the  nurse's  fears  were  soon  allayed,  and  she 
went  about  certain  duties  which  she  never 
intrusted  to  anyone  else. 

Presently  these  called  her  to  the  room  at 
the  extreme  end  of  the  suite, — the  room  whose 
walls  had  witnessed  such  torturing  suffering, 
such  oblivion  to  the  world  of  things,  and  then 
such  relief.  Truly  a  room  of  bitter-sweet 
memories. 

Miss  Woodward,  the  assistant  nurse,  was 
absent  for  the  day.  Lizette  had  gone  to  High 
Mass,  where  the  good  soul  was  praying  most 
devoutly  for  the  recovery  of  the  child  she  so 
loved.  Even  Saito  had  gone  out  into  the  little 
garden  below  Hope's  western  window  to  gather 
a  cluster  of  marguerites,  fresh  washed  by  the 
night's  shower,  for  his  Yoshi-Ko.  Once  there, 
he  fell  into  a  strange  reverie  in  which  the  re- 
ligion and  gods  of  his  own  land  were  oddly 
confused  with  the  God  worshipped  in  the  land 
in  which  he  now  dwelt.  The  God  whose  in- 
carnation was  even  now  being  celebrated  in  the 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  71 

temples  of  these  incomprehensible  people. 
Poor  Saito !  He  could  not  understand  that  he 
was  equally  incomprehensible  to  those  he 
served. 

Presently  the  rich  strains  of  St.  Stephen's 
organ  rolled  out  upon  the  still  air,  followed  by 
the  exquisite  voice  of  the  boy  soprano,  as 
he  sang  Hope's  hymn: 

"Months  in  due  succession,  days  of 

lengthening  light, 
Hours  and  passing  moments  praise 

Thee  in  their  flight; 
Brightness  of  the  morning,  sky  and 

fields  and  sea, 
Vanquisher  of  darkness,  bring  their 

praise  to  Thee! 
Welcome,  happy  morning!    Age  to 

age  shall  say!"     Etc. 

Saito  listened,  now  and  again  catching  a 
word.  He  could  not  understand  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  hymn,  or  the  strange  ceremonies. 
Who  was  this  Christ  whom  the  Christians  said 
had  died  for  their  salvation  and  now  lived 
again?  Who  had  once  been  a  little  child  and 


72  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

grown  to  manhood,  with  only  kindness  in  his 
heart  for  every  living  thing,  human  or  animal. 
Of  whom  his  Yoshi-Ko  had  that  wonderful 
Kakimono  (picture)  hanging  near  her  bed? 
Had  he  not  seen  it  one  morning  when  he  had 
asked  permission  to  carry  up  to  her  bedroom 
the  gohan  (breakfast)  which,  he,  Saito  had 
arranged  with  his  own  hands?  A  service  he 
would  not  have  deigned  to  perform  for  any 
other  human  being.  There  were  servants 
galore  in  the  augustly  rich  Curtis  Sama's 
house.  It  was  their  business  to  carry  trays, 
not  his.  He  was, — well  he  was  not  a  menial 
though  for  reasons  of  his  own  he  chose  to  ap- 
pear in  that  character  for  the  time  being. 

Yes,  he  had  then  seen  that  wonderful  paint- 
ing, so  unlike  the  paintings  of  his  own  land, 
and  had  lingered  a  moment  to  look  at  it,  and 
Hope's  gaze  had  followed  his  as,  with  a  smile 
which  he  still  vividly  recalled,  she  asked: 
"Do  you  know  who  it  is,  Saito-san?" 
He  had  answered:    "No,  most  honorable 
one.    Perhaps  Yoshi-Ko's  all  same  friend?" 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  73 

"Yes,  Saito.  The  dearest  friend  I  have. 
The  one  who  is  going  to  make  me  well  before 
long.  Yes,  some  day  soon.  Then,  Saito,  I 
shall  walk  like  you." 

"Ah,  the  great  doctor-san?  He  mage,  mage 
— Saito  no  can  talk  the  word — op-peration? 
Yes?" 

"Yes,  he  is  a  great  doctor,  but  not  like  Dr. 
Hartmann.  A  much  wiser,  greater  doctor." 

"LigeDr.  -    -?" 

Saito  named  the  great  surgeon  who  had 
come  several  times  with  Dr.  Hartmann. 

"Far  greater  than  even  Dr. ,  Saito.  I 

have  never  seen  him,  but  I  shall  some  day. 
He  is  coming  to  make  me  well.  I  shall  know 
when,  because  he  will  send  a  messenger;  of  that 
I  am  sure." 

"Telephony?"  queried  Saito.  "Live  far, 
far  off.  Odder  side  big  water  mebbe?  Yes?" 

"Far  away  and  yet  so  near,"  said  Hope,  a 
wonderful  light  filling  her  eyes,  as  she  looked 
toward  the  blue  skies  and,  raising  her  hand, 
pointed  upward. 


74  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"Ah-h-h!"  The  word  was  a  mere  breath. 
Saito  had  grasped  her  meaning.  He  bowed 
and  said:  "The  honorable  Lord  Shaka-ni- 
yorai?  He  come?  Yes,  he  mage  Yoshi-Ko 
to  run  all  same  lige,  lige  liddle  deer?  Yoshi- 
Ko  know  how  he  come?" 

"How?  No,  Saito,  I  do  not  know,  but  he 
will  come.  Of  that  I  am  sure.  It  will  not 
be  very  long  now,  I  think." 

"Saito  watch.  Saito  know.  Yes,  Saito 
mage  offering  to  the  great  Lord  Shaka  to  mage 
the  hurry  come.  Many  year  long  time  sinze 
Yoshi-Ko  runnin'.  Her  honorable  feet  achin' 
for  run.  Yes,  Saito  look  with  many  eyes  and 
see  first." 

Then,  lest  he  mistake  the  identity  of  the 
Christian's  Shaka  (Christ),  he  went  close  to 
the  picture  to  gaze  long  and  steadily  upon  it, 
his  lips  compressed  and  his  head  nodding 
slowly. 

The  painting  was  a  copy  of  West's  "Christ 
healing  the  sick,"  and  the  tender  pity  in  the 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  75 

divine  face  made  it  one  of  Hope's  greatest 

treasures. 

As  Saito  stood  in  the  beautiful  little  garden, 
its  ivy-covered  wall  secluding  it  from  the 
curious  gaze  of  passers-by,  his  thoughts  harked 
back  to  that  day  during  the  previous  autumn. 
Would  the  Great  Lord  Shaka  come  to  cure 
his  beloved  little  mistress  as  she  believed?  And 
if  so,  in  what  form?  Would  he  send  a  mes- 
senger as  she  had  declared  he  would,  and  what 
form  would  that  messenger  assume?  Shaka 
was  all-powerful.  Everything  was  possible 
to  him.  And  was  there,  after  all,  anything  in 
common  between  his,  Saito's,  gods  and  the  one 
whom  the  Christians  worshipped? 

The  moments  slipped  by,  and  still  Saito 
stood  lost  in  his  meditations.  They  were  in- 
terrupted by  the  arrival  of  Michael  upon  the 
scene.  Michael,  like  a  good  Catholic,  had 
been  to  early  Mass  and  was  still  imbued  with 
the  spirit  of  the  beautiful,  impressive  service. 
He  came  quietly  out  into  the  lovely  little 
garden  and  drew  near  Saito  without  speaking. 


76  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

The  East  and  West  stood  side  by  side,  yet 
divided  by  the  ages. 

"Well,  Saito,  me  lad,  and  what's  makin'  ye 
look  that  solemn,  this  mar-r-vel  av  a  day? 
'Tis  too  foin  a  wan  for  a  long  face,  and  a 
gr-r-eat  day  it  is,  entoirley.  Ye've  none  like 
it  out  beyant,  Oim  doubtin',"  he  concluded, 
with  a  nod  toward  that  part  of  the  world  in 
which  he  believed  Japan  to  lie. 

Michael  was  a  hard  proposition  for  Saito,  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  The  educated  Eu- 
ropean was  difficult  enough  to  comprehend, 
but  the  common  people  were  beyond  him. 
He  knew  Michael  belonged  to  the  peasant 
class,  but  Michael's  rich  brogue,  odd  phrase- 
ology and  unvarying  good  humor, — in  short, 
his  inclination  to  accept  the  little  Jap  as  a 
perpetual  joke,  baffled  Saito  mightily,  for 
nothing  so  outrages  a  native  of  Japan  as  ridicule, 
and  Saito  was  never  quite  sure  whether  the 
big,  husky,  Irishman  was  ridiculing  him  or 
not. 

But,  at  all  events  he  was  not  doing  so  at 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  77 

the  present  moment,  for  the  smile  upon 
Michael's  face  was  full  of  friendliness  and — 
well — one  must  be  courteous  even  to  one's 
inferiors,  forgiving  any  lapse  upon  their  part, 
because  the  gods  had  made  them  of  a  lower 
caste. 

"Yes,  fine  day.  Much  mage  glad  joy. 
Great  feast  ad  all  temple  of  your  honorable 
Lord  Shaka." 

"Our  Lor-r-d  Sha-ka?"  repeated  Michael 
doubtfully.  "And  who  might  his  high  mighti- 
ness be,  I  dunno?" 

"Alle  samee  Kirishitan  God-Young-man. 
Yoshi-Ko  have  got  hang  by  futon  (couch)." 

"Are  ye  talking  av  the  holy  Jesus,  ye  little 
man?"  There  was  dismay,  incredulity  and 
almost  horror  in  Michael's  voice. 

"Yes.  Him  comin'  in  liddle  while  which- 
even,  mage  Yoshi-Ko  alle  same  odder  liddle 
chiPern.  Walk  lige  somebody.  She  tell  Sai- 
to.  Yes,  sure  come." 

"An*  do  ye  mane  to  tell  me  that  the  choild 


78  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

up  yonder  towld  ye  that?  That  the  holy 
Jesus  was  comin'  to  cure  her?" 

"Sure  same.  You  thinkin'  she  jus'  liddle 
bid  yo'ng  girl.  Saito  know  she  all  time 
Hinohime.  You  seem'.  You  knowin',  some 
day.  Saito  mage  big  prayer  Kwannon.  Sure 
get." 

"Kwannon?    Kwannon?    An'  who's  he?" 

"No  he.  Him  her,  lige  you  say.  Gread, 
big,  honorable  goddesse.  Mage  sorry  for  all 
people  who  burn  incense  ad  shrine." 

"Do  ye  mane  the  Holy  Virgin?  Have  ye  a 
Holy  Virgin  in  your  hyathen  churches?" 
asked  Michael,  his  honest  face  full  of  bewilder- 
ment, for  what  was  this  he  was  hearing?" 

Here  was  a  creature  whom  he  had  regarded 
as  only  half  a  human  being.  An  outcast  from 
heaven  and  hardly  worthy  a  place  upon  the 
earth  unless  simply  to  serve  superior  beings. 
Poor  Michael !  his  view-point  was  no  narrower 
than  the  view-point  of  many  of  far  more  en- 
lightened mind.  What  could  it  mean?  And 
how  little  he  guessed  Saito's  estimation  of  him- 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  79 

self:  A  mere  barbarian  belonging  to  the 
Heimin  (very  common  people)  yet  kindly,  and 
with  a  strange  religion.  Nevertheless,  they 
had  a  common  bond :  Their  love  for  the  child 
lying  in  the  sunny  bay-window  up-stairs. 

"Kwannon  gread  goddesse,"  repeated  Saito. 

"Ye're  dead  right,  me  b'y.  She  is  that,  an' 
I'm  thinkin'  ye're  not  far  wrong  whan  ye're 
sayin'  she's  goin'  ter  whork  miracles  wid  that 
blessed  angel  of  sufferin'  up  there,"  ended 
Michael,  nodding  toward  Hope's  west  window. 
"  'Twould  be  no  whonder  if  a  miracle  tuck 
place  ferninst  our  very  oyes  wid  that  child, 
the  saints  rest  her,  she's  that  patient  and — 
and — "  Michael's  vocabulary  failed  him. 

Saito  completed  his  sentence  with: 

"She  no  can  help.  She  Hinohime.  Must 
mage  sweetness  lige  sunshine.  Saito  now  go 
mage  offering  of  flowers.  Flowers  mos'  sweet- 
es'  thing  in  all  worl'  nex'  Hinohime.  Ah-bah" 
(good-by),  and  with  a  deep  bow  Saito  went 
softly  away  with  his  cluster  of  marguerites. 

Michael  watched  him  as  he  disappeared 


80  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

within  the  house.  Then,  raising  his  hand  he 
absently  rubbed  his  curly  brown  head  and 
murmured: 

"Well,  there's  no  use  av  tryin'  fer  ter 
r'ason  out  some  things.  Thot  little  man  has 
got  his  Holy  Virgin  and  his  Holy  Savior,  and 
Give  got  mine.  Now  are  they  wan  and  the 
same,  wid  different  names,  or  are  they  not? 
'Tis  not  Michael  O'Brien  who'll  be  afther 
answerin'  thot  question,  but  may  it  plaze  the 
Lord  God  Almighty  and  his  blessed  saints  to 
send  that  same  miracle  av  a  cure  to  this  house, 
for  if  iver  wan  deserved  it  'tis  this  same,"  and 
devoutly  crossing  himself  after  his  prayer, 
Michael  went  about  his  duties  within  doors. 

Meanwhile,  up  in  her  sun-bathed  window, 
Hope  had  lapsed  into  a  half-sleeping,  half- 
waking  state  when  the  world  of  objects  about 
her  seemed  at  once  real  and  unreal.  The  voices 
of  occasional  pedestrians  in  the  street  below  her 
sounded  vague  and  far  off.  All  sounds  were 
strangely  hushed.  Worn  and  weary  from  a 
miserably  restless  night,  sleep  having  come 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  81 

only  after  the  administration  of  a  sedative  for 
overtaxed  nerves,  she  dozed,  half-roused,  then 
dozed  again,  falling  at  length  into  a  light  sleep. 
Miss  Forrester  peeped  in,  sighed  with  relief 
to  see  the  eyelids  closed  at  last,  and  slipped 
down  to  the  library  to  get  a  book  for  which  her 
little  patient  had  asked. 

Then  a  most  unusual  thing  happened.  Out 
in  the  warm  sunshine  of  the  quiet  city  street 
there  appeared  a  flash  of  most  gorgeous  crim- 
son. More  than  crimson,  the  brilliant  red  of 
the  brightest  flame.  Thither  and  yonder  it 
flashed,  now  up,  now  down,  then  into  the  thick, 
green  foliage  of  the  horse-chestnut  trees  upon 
one  side  of  the  boulevard,  only  to  dart  away 
to  make  a  wonderful  patch  of  glowing  color 
against  the  maples.  At  length  it  settled  upon 
a  bough  of  the  maple  tree  which  almost 
reached  Hope's  bay-window,  and  clear,  sweet 
and  liquid  as  those  of  a  flute,  came  the  mar- 
velous notes  of  a  Kentucky  cardinal  bird.  An 
ecstasy  of  spring,  of  the  joy  of  new  life,  of 
freedom!  What  a  picture  the  brilliant  bird 


82  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

in  the  gorgeous  plumage  of  the  mating  season 
made  against  the  green  foliage  which  formed 
his  background!  How  clear  above  all  other 
sounds  his  estatic  love  song. 

Hope  stirred  slightly  but  did  not  open  her 
eyes.  The  note  was  repeated  with  greater 
insistence,  as  though  the  exquisite  bird  wished 
to  call  her  attention  to  himself  and  his  rare 
accomplishment . 

At  that  moment  Saito  came  to  the  open 
door,  a  smile  upon  his  usually  impassive  face, 
his  slant  eyes  filled  with  eager  anticipation  of 
the  look  of  pleasure  which  he  knew  from  for- 
mer experiences  would  illumine  the  Hinohime's 
face  when  he  presented  his  offering.  Such  a 
smile  was  a  good  omen.  Saito  liked  to  bring 
it  to  Hope's  lips. 

And  now,  as  he  stood  upon  her  threshold 
and  saw  her  lying  there  upon  her  couch  asleep, 
and  the  wonderful  bird  thrilling  his  liquid 
notes  almost  at  her  window's  ledge,  he  stood 
as  though  spellbound. 

Then  softly,  hardly  above  a  whisper,  but 


KENTUCKY  CARDINAL  83 

with  vibrant  sweetness,  the  sleeper's  lips 
formed  the  words: 

"Yes.  Yes.  Before  another  Easter  day. 
I  hear.  I  understand.  To  walk  again." 

Then  again  came  that  clear,  sweet  whistle, 
as  the  bird  drew  nearer  and  nearer.  Saito 
could  not  have  stirred  if  he  would.  He  felt 
rooted  to  the  spot.  What  was  this  he  was 
witnessing? 

"Yes,  I  shall  come,"  continued  the  soft 
voice,  as  though  in  reply  to  a  question,  though 
the  eyes  remained  closed. 

Then  there  came  a  quick  flutter  of  wings  and 
the  bird  alighting  upon  the  very  window-ledge, 
burst  into  a  ravishing  ecstasy  of  song,  fluttered 
its  wings  and  was  gone. 

And  that  instant  Hope  roused,  drew  a  long 
breath,  and  turned  her  head  toward  Saito, 
saying: 

"Ah,  Saito,  I've  had  such  a  wonderful 
dream.  I  hope  it  may  come  true.  I  did  not 
know  you  were  there.  And  you  have  brought 


84  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

me  some  marguerites.  How  kind  of  you. 
Thank  you  so  much." 

Half  drowsily  she  stretched  forth  her  hand 
for  them. 

Saito  glided  to  the  couch  and  laid  his  offer- 
ing upon  it,  dropped  to  his  knees,  touched  his 
forehead  to  the  floor,  and  then  silently  as  a 
shadow  arose  and  slipped  from  the  room. 

Holding  the  flowers  in  her  hand  Hope  again 
fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER  VI 

HOPE'S  WELCOME  TO  SANS  SOUCI 

April,  with  its  smiles  and  frowns  had  slipped 
away.  May's  blossoms  had  filled  the  parks 
with  their  fragrance,  and  now  June  was  draw- 
ing to  its  close.  And  such  a  June!  Warm,  it 
is  true,  but  still  so  fresh,  green  and  beautiful. 

It  was  exactly  two  months  since  that  Easter 
morning  when  Hope's  rare  visitor  came  to  her 
window,  the  visitor  of  whose  presence  none  but 
Saito  knew.  For  days  afterward  the  little  man 
was  strangely  silent,  going  about  his  duties 
as  one  in  a  dream.  Not  a  word  did  he  breathe 
to  any  one  of  that  morning's  experience,  but 
no  earthly  power  could  persuade  him  that  the 
beautiful  cardinal  had  not  been  the  great  god 
Shaka,  or  the  Christian's  deity,  come  in  that 
guise  to  bring  to  the  Sun  Princess  the  long- 
desired  message;  the  token  and  promise  of 


86  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

restored  health  and  strength.  Had  she  not 
actually  talked  with  him? 

Saito  had  understood  every  word  of  that 
conversation.  The  gods  had  graciously  per- 
mitted him  to  do  so.  But  what  would  be  the 
outcome?  Would  the  great  god  recall  the  Sun 
Princess  to  her  own  realm,  and  so  deprive 
Saito  of  any  future  glimpse  of  the  light  of  her 
presence,  or  would  the  invisible,  the  spiritual 
being  pass  on,  leaving  to  those  who  loved  her  a 
visible,  material  form,  in  the  child  who  filled 
all  their  world  with  light? 

Saito  could  not  even  conjecture,  nor  dared 
he  drop  the  slightest  hint  to  any  one  regarding 
it.  Weeks  passed  before  any  light  was  thrown 
upon  the  subject  for  him,  and  then,  as  is  al- 
most invariably  the  case,  it  came  when  he  was 
least  expecting  it.  He  had  carried  to  Hope's 
room  a  note  from  an  old  gentleman  living  op- 
posite, a  quaint,  odd  character,  who  adored 
the  child  and  often  amused  himself — and  her 
—by  writing  long,  fanciful  stories  for  her. 

Saito  held  the  little  silver  salver  toward  her, 


WELCOME  TO  SANS  SOUC1        87 

and  Hope  took  the  letter  with  a  gay  little 
laugh.  She  was  much  better  and  stronger 
than  she  had  ever  been,  and  each  day  seemed 
to  bring  with  it  increasing  strength,  to  the 
inexpressible  joy  of  those  who  watched  and 
cared  for  her. 

"Yoshi-Ko  mage  laugh  lige — what  you  call? 
Robin-San?" 

"Do  I,  Saito?  That  is  because  I  am  happy. 
I  am  growing  stronger  every  day.  Ah,  Saito, 
my  dream  is  surely  coming  true.  Before  long 
I  am  going  to  walk!  Think  of  it!" 

"Yes,  Saito  know.  He,  that  liddle  bird 
whad  sing  his  story  ad  thad  day  what  Kirishi- 
tan  callin'  E-star,  Saito  stand  ad  door  and 
see,"  said  Saito  mysteriously. 

Hope  looked  puzzled.  That  dream  had, 
indeed,  been  very  real.  "What  do  you  mean, 
Saito?"  she  asked. 

Saito  drew  nearer  and  whispered:  "Saito 
stand  ad  door  when  gread  Lord  Shaka's— 
hims — (pointing  to  the  picture  above  Hope's 
couch),  messangar  come  ad  tree,  ad  window 


88  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

and  speag  to  Yoshi-Ko,  and  Yoshi-Ko  mage 
liddle  talk  wid  gread  Lord  Shaka.  No  one 
else  seein',  no  one  else  knowin'.  Gread  god 
come  all  samee  lige  beautiful  red  bird,  mage 
sing  ad  Yoshi-Ko.  All  people  thinging  just 
nodding  but  bird  song;  Saito  and  Yoshi-Ko 
knowing  bedder.  Yoshi-Ko  sure  some  day 
running;  pretty  soon  ride  way." 

Hope  looked  straight  into  Saito's  eyes,  her 
own  shining  as  she  cried: 

"Then  it  was  not  all  a  dream  last  Easter 
morning?  There  really  was  a  bird  on  the  win- 
dow ledge  which  sang  so  wonderfully?  Did 
you  see  him  too,  Saito?  I  was  so  tired,  so 
sleepy  that  morning,  I  could  not  tell  whether 
I  was  awake  or  just  dreaming.  I  thought  a 
beautiful  red  bird  was  singing — yes — talking 
to  me.  Wasn't  that  odd?  And  I  was  talking 
to  him,  and  I  thought  he  promised  that  before 
the  next  Easter  day  I  should  be  well,  and  I  said 
strange  things  to  him." 

"Yes,  Saito  heard.  Saito  know  whad  Hino- 
hime  meaning  bud-bud — don'  don'  go  bacg 


WELCOME  TO  SANS  SOUCI        89 

to  Great  Lord!  No  leave  Saito  and  Okka- 
san — all,  all."  Saito,  the  impassive,  was 
strangely  moved. 

"Go  away,  Saito?  I  don't  understand.  I 
do  not  wish  to  go  away.  I  love  everybody 
here  and  my  home  too  well  to  wish  to  go  away. 
Of  course  I  shall  not  go  away.  I  belong  right 
here." 

Saito  shook  his  head,  but  smiled  as  though 
comforted  by  her  assurance.  If  the  august- 
ness  deigned  to  remain,  that  was  her  gracious 
will.  He  accepted  the  blessing  the  gods  chose 
to  confer.  Then  he  bowed  himself  from  the 
room  and  Hope  thought  of  her  wonderful 
dream,  which,  after  all,  had  not  been  a  dream, 
and  wished  she  might  again  see  the  glorious 
songster  which  had  visited  her  that  Easter 
day,  from  which  day  had  dated  her  improved 
health. 

And  so  the  weeks  had  passed,  and  now  it  was 
time  to  think  about  packing  trunks  and  flitting 
to  that  section  of  the  world  where  cardinals 
make  their  summer  home — Lake  George— 


90  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

wlrre  Mr.  Curtis  owned  an  extensive  island, 
picturesque  as  fairyland,  upon  which  he  had 
erected  a  spacious  bungalow  for  his  own  use 
and  a  charming  cottage  which  each  summer  he 
rented  to  a  friend,  a  near  neighbor  to  his  city 
home.  Here,  on  Sans  Souci,  as  he  had  named 
the  island,  and  which  the  inhabitants  there- 
abouts had  promptly  corrupted  into  "  Sands 
Sucky"  he  led  a  life  of  uninterrupted  rest  and 
recreation,  snatching  from  the  arduous  cares 
and  demands  of  his  New  York  business  life  two 
solid  months  in  which  "to  learn  to  be  a  boy 
again,"  and  become  a  new  man,  as  he  expressed 
it.  And  he  came  as  near  doing  so  as  lies  within 
the  power  of  any  adult  human  being. 

Though  enjoying  all  the  comforts  and  many 
of  the  luxuries  of  their  city  home,  the  life  led 
upon  Sans  Souci  was  one  of  absolute  freedom 
for  all  in  Ruheheute,  the  name  given  the  bun- 
galow. 

The  flitting  from  the  city  was  a  good  deal 
of  an  undertaking.  At  least  hitherto  it  had 
always  been,  owing  to  Hope's  absolute  help- 


WELCOME  TO  SANS  SOUC1        91 

lessness  and  weakness,  but  this  June  all 
looked  so  much  more  promising  for  the  little 
invalid,  and  her  own  anticipation  of  the  pend- 
ing change  was  so  keen,  that  her  joy  was  in- 
fectious. 

Of  the  household,  Saito,  Miss   Forester, 
Miss  Woodward  and  Lizette  went  northward 
as  a  matter  of  course,  and  several  of  the  ser- 
vants also,  but  Michael  always  remained  be- 
hind to  care  for  the  closed  city  house. 

The  thirtieth  of  June,  the  day  set  for  the 
journey  to  the  lake,  was  "one  of  the  heavenly 
days  which  cannot  die."  Overhead  the  sky  was 
blue  as  the  crystal  beryl,  and  soft  little  winds 
played  "I  spy"  with  the  foliage.  The  air 
made  one  long  to  draw  in  deep,  deep  breaths 
of  its  life-renewing  freshness. 

As  no  chances  were  ever  taken  when  Hope's 
well-being  or  comfort  were  in  question,  the 
trip  to  the  lake  was  planned  with  the  utmost 
care.  The  great  Packard  conveyed  Hope  and 
Miss  Forrester  to  the  Grand  Central  Station, 
the  other  members  of  the  family  and  house- 


92  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

hold  following  in  other  motor  cars.  When  the 
station  was  reached,  a  private  car,  in  which 
Hope's  cot  could  be  swung  to  avoid  all  jarring, 
received  its  precious  passenger,  and  there 
seemed  but  slight  change  from  the  comforts 
of  Tluhevoll.  Once  at  the  lake,  Mr.  Curtis' 
beautiful  steam  yacht  met  them,  and  on  its 
spacious  deck  Hope  sailed  as  tranquilly  to- 
ward her  summer  home  as  the  Lady  of  Chalott 
drifted  down  to  Camelot,  Miss  Forrester  alert 
for  any  sign  of  fatigue,  and  Saito  with  eyes  for 
his  Yoshi-Ko  alone. 

They  reached  Sans  Souci  at  six  in  the  even- 
ing, the  loveliest  hour  of  the  twenty-four  at 
the  lake,  especially  during  June,  for  then  "the 
Western  waves  of  ebbing  day  flood  o'er  the 
lake  their  level  ray,"  the  water  turns  to  the 
richest  deepest  ultramarine,  the  Eastern  moun- 
tains glow  in  their  most  brilliant  green.  In 
the  woods  and  open  glades  vesper  sparrows 
trill,  the  hermit  thrush  sends  his  plaintive 
call  reverberating  through  the  deepest  wood- 
land haunts,  to  be  answered  by  the  liquid 


WELCOME  TO  SANS  SOUCI       93 

notes  of  his  cousin,  the  woodthrush.  Robins 
sing  their  even'song,  and  hundreds  of  other 
songsters  who  visit  the  shores  of  Lake  George 
during  the  midsummer  months  fill  the  sunset 
hour  with  melody. 

Hope  was  tired  after  her  long  journey,  but 
less  so  than  upon  any  previous  occasion,  and 
Miss  Forrester  was  overjoyed  to  note  the  ab- 
sense  of  the  languor  which  had  marked  the 
end  of  each  previous  trip.  Her  little  patient 
was  chatting  happily  with  her  mother  as  the 
Idlewild  was  being  made  fast  to  the  long  stone 
pier,  and  much  interested  in  the  deft,  quick 
manner  in  which  the  crew  made  the  landing. 

Then  came  the  disembarking,  and  Hope  was 
borne  across  the  gang-plank,  up  the  dock  and 
along  the  beautiful  hydrangea-bordered  path 
to  the  bungalow,  where  her  pallet  was  placed 
upon  the  broad  piazza  by  the  four  sailor  lads 
who  had  so  carefully  lifted  it  from  the  deck. 

Miss  Forrester  hurried  into  the  house  to  see 
that  all  was  ready  in  Hope's  suite,  while  Miss 
Woodward  went  with  Lizette  to  add  any  nee- 


94  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

essary  touches,  and  Mrs.  Curtis  dropped  upon  a 
low  chair  beside  the  cot  to  ask  softly:  "Are 
you  very  tired,  sweetheart?"  as  she  laid  her 
hand  upon  the  soft,  white  one  resting  upon  the 
light  steamer  rug. 

"Oh,  Mother,  it's  perfectly  wonderful!  I've 
never,  never  had  such  a  lovely  journey.  Why, 
I  believe  I  could  make  it  all  over  again  and 
never  mind  it  one  bit." 

"Well,  we  will  not  put  it  to  the  test  this 
time,  dearie,  though  it  makes  me  the  happiest 
mother  in  the  land  to  hear  you  say  so,  and  to 
see  you  so  bright.  Why,  if  you  continue  to 
do  as  much  up  here  in  this  wonderful  land  as 
you  did  while  shut  up  in  that  big  city,  I  shall 
take  back  with  me  a  miracle  of  restored 
health." 

"I'm  going  to!  Yes,  I  am.  Just  you  see. 
Why,  when  I  come  here  next  year,  you  and  I 
are  going  to  walk  right  out  into  those  woods 
yonder,  and  oh,  mother  look!  Isn't  that  a 
cluster  of  dog-tooth  violets  growing  beneath 


WELCOME  TO  SANS  SOUCI        95 

that  white  birch  tree?    Will  you  send  Lizette 
to  gather  some  for  me,  please?" 

"I'll  send  some  one  you  love  better  than 
Lizette:  I'll  send  myself,"  was  Mrs.  Curtis' 
cheery  answer,  for  this  was  one  of  the  happiest 
days  of  her  life,  and  she  felt  almost  like  a  girl 
again  herself  as  she  went  swiftly  down  the 
pretty  little  path  toward  the  graceful  white 
birch  tree  with  its  carpet  of  yellow  violets. 
As  she  was  stooping  to  gather  them  Saito  came 
out  upon  the  piazza  to  bring  Hope  a  glass  of  milk. 
He  was  beaming.  All  was  well  with  his  little 
sun  princess.  She  took  the  glass  with  a  smile 
and  word  of  thanks,  drank  the  contents  and 
had  just  replaced  the  glass  upon  the  tray  when 
into  the  rhododendron  bush  at  the  end  of 
the  piazza  darted  a  flash  of  brilliant  red  and 
the  next  second  high,  rich  and  clear,  the  car- 
dinal's piping  filled  the  silent  evening  air. 
Saito's  tray  fell  to  the  piazza  and  the  glass 
was  shivered.  For  the  first  time  since  he  had 
served  her,  Hope  saw  the  little  Japanese  lose 
his  self  possession. 


96  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

She  laughed  aloud  and  cried: 

"Why,  Saito,  are  you  so  easily  startled  as 
that?  I  am  less  nervous  than  you  are — see," 
and  she  held  up  her  hand  to  show  how  steady 
it  was. 

Poor  Saito,  his  confusion  was  pathetic. 
He  had,  from  his  standpoint,  committed  one 
of  the  most  unpardonable  solecisms.  He  had 
utterly  lost  his  poise,  disgraced  himself  by  a 
bit  of  awkwardness  worthy  of  a  coolie,  de- 
stroyed some  of  his  august  employer's  proper- 
ty, and,  in  short,  proved  himself  no  better 
than  the  despicable  To-jin  (a  Chinaman; 
and  when  a  Japanese  uses  that  term,  contempt 
can  go  no  further) .  What  could  he  do  to  make 
amends?  But  Hope  sought  to  restore  his 
equanimity  by  saying: 

"Why  it  was  only  a  bird,  Saito.  A  cardi- 
nal bird.  See,  there  he  is  yonder.  Isn't  he  a 
beauty?  And  have  you  ever  heard  such  a 
song?  Why,  Saito,  he  may  be  the  very  one 
who  came  to  see  me  on  Easter  Day.  How 
can  we  tell?  Maybe  he  knew  I  had  a  home 


WELCOME  TO  SANS  SOUC1        97 

at  Lake  George  and  came  on  ahead  to  wel- 
come me.  I  think  it  was  dear  of  him,  don't 
you?" 

While  Hope  talked  on,  striving  to  put  the 
confused  Saito  at  ease,  he  was  hurriedly  gath- 
ering up  the  fragments  of  the  glass,  now  and 
again  casting  startled  glances  over  his  shoulder 
at  the  scarlet  visitor  carrolling  his  even' song  in 
the  rhododendron  bush.  When  every  vestige  of 
the  accident  had  been  carefully  picked  up  and 
placed  upon  the  tray  by  his  slender,  deft 
fingers,  Saito  bent  toward  Hope  and  in  an 
awed  voice  said : 

"Thad  wonderful  omen:  Gread  good  luck. 
The  Lord  Shaka  mage  the  Hinohime  welcome 
ad  bungalow.  Now  all  things  comin'  fast 
lige  the  horse  when  runnin'.  No  mage  seeg 
moach  long  time  some  more.  Bud  Saito  ask 
the  forgive  for  mage  smash  of  glass  and  bad 
noise.  Saito  so  sawry,  bud  he  coon'  help. 
Augustness  too  honorably  good  nod  be  angery 
ad  Saito." 

"Of  course  I  am  not  angry,  Saito.    You 


98  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

were  startled,  that  is  all.  But  some  day  we 
must  talk  about  this  great  Lord  Shaka,  whom 
you  believe  visits  me  in  the  form  of  a  bird.  I 
am  afraid  I  do  not  understand  and  I  should 
like  to.  You  will  tell  me?"  queried  Hope. 

"You  wan'  mage  liddle  bit  talk  wid  Saito 
'bout  gread  Lord  Shaka?  Tha's  good.  Saito 
some  day  tellin'  Yoshi-Ko, — bud  Saito  thing 
Yoshi-Ko  knowin'  all  time  more  than  Saito 
knowin',"  and  the  little  man  hurried  away,  as 
Mrs.  Curtis  came  up  the  steps  with  her  hands 
filled  with  yellow  violets. 

"There,  dear,  aren't  they  beautiful?  But 
what  ailed  Saito?  He  seemed  alarmed  when 
I  came." 

"Mother,  he  is  so  odd  sometimes,  and  has 
such  curious  superstitions.  He  heard  the 
cardinal  bird  singing  in  the  rhododendron  and 
it  startled  him  so  he  let  fall  the  glass.  Then 
he  was  more  frightened  than  ever.  Do  you 
know,  he  thinks  the  bird  is  one  of  his  Japanese 
gods  come  to  make  me  well.  He  calls  him 
Lord  Shaka.  What  curious  beliefs  they  have." 


"Probably  ours  seem  equally  curious  to 
him.  His  Lord  Shaka  is  almost  synonomous 
with  our  Christ,  and  is  supposed  to  assume 
any  form  he  wishes  to  in  order  to  achieve  his 
ends.  But  does  he  worry  you,  dear?  He  is 
a  strange  servant.  Quite  unlike  any  other  we 
have  ever  had." 

"No,  indeed.  I'm  very  fond  of  him  and 
he  seems  to  love  me.  But  here  comes  Miss 
Forrester.  Now  I  dare  say  you  are  going  to 
put  me  straight  to  bed,  you  tyrant,"  and  Hope 
frowned  in  mock  rage. 

"Straight!"  answered  Miss  Forrester,  laugh- 
ing. 


CHAPTER  VII 

NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS 

The  arrival  of  "the  family"  (always  spoken 
of  in  Italics)  at  Sans  Souci  invariably  created 
a  stir.  Mr.  Packard  might  arrive  earlier  than 
Mr.  Curtis,  and  very  often  did  do  so,  for 
Beatrice,  their  only  child,  was  a  pretty  lively 
specimen  of  her  sex  and  age  to  keep  cooped  up 
in  a  big  city  after  her  school  closed  on  June 
tenth.  So,  as  a  rule,  Mr.  Packard  transported 
his  family  to  Sans  Souci  with  all  possible  speed 
there,  to  occupy  the  pretty  cottage  at  the  op- 
posite end  of  the  island.  Mr.  Packard  was 
a  member  of  Mr.  Curtis'  law  firm  and  an  old 
college  chum  as  well.  Consequently  the  friend- 
ship between  the  two  families  was  a  very  firm 
one,  and  they  shared  in  common  the  privileges 
of  Sans  Souci.  They  had  come  to  the  island 
two  weeks  before  but  their  coming  had  not 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS      101 

created  the  stir  in  the  Colt  family  (the  care- 
takers of  Sans  Souci)  which  the  arrival  of  the 
Curtis  family  always  created.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Colt  and  their  thirteen  children  occupied  a 
pretty  lodge  high  up  on  the  hill  back  of 
Ruheheute,  Mrs.  Curtis  had  christened  it 
"The  Beehive."  In  this  seemingly  limited 
abode  the  little  Colts  had  come  into  the  world, 
squalled  their  way  through  their  infantile 
years,  squabbled,  romped,  played,  come  to 
grief  and  had  hairbreadth  escapes  as  they 
grew  up.  There  was  always  a  new  Colt.  Mrs. 
Curtis  could  hardly  recall  a  single  year  when 
there  had  not  been  one  or  two  brand  new  ones, 
or,  certainly,  very  nearly  new  ones,  and  she 
had  grown  to  accept  the  fact  as  a  matter  of 
course.  Mrs.  Colt  was  a  buxom,  cheery  body 
whom  nothing  upon  earth  disturbed.  She 
accepted  each  day  as  it  came,  went  through 
its  unvarying  round  of  duties,  and  at  night 
settled  down  upon  her  squeaking  rocking- 
chair  with  a  sigh  of  relief  and  her  fist  thrust 
into  the  inevitable  sock  or  stocking,  the  pile 


102  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

awaiting  her  needle  seeming  never  to  lessen, 
however  industriously  she  dove  into  it. 

Mr.  Colt  was  a  long,  lanky,  loosely-hung- 
together  Yankee,  whose  words  came  through 
his  nose  with  the  twang  of  Ichabod  Crane's. 
He  seemed  as  inert  as  his  wife  was  ener- 
getic, though  as  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  really 
a  hard  worker.  Only  he  slid  along  through 
his  duties,  whereas  she  tore  through  hers,  and 
their  offspring  equally  divided  their  character- 
istics. 

The  morning  after  Mr.  Curtis'  arrival,  there 
was  a  lively  buzzing  in  the  Beehive.  The  pre- 
vious day  the  strictest  injunctions  had  been 
laid  upon  such  Colts  as  could  prance  to  con- 
fine their  prancings  within  the  limits  of  the 
Beehive's  outer  bounds,  a  hedge  encircling 
about  two  acres.  Beyond  that  no  Colt  was 
to  venture  on  pain  of  "the  paddling"  of  his 
(or  her)  life.  They  might  look  upon  the 
arrival  of  the  royal  family  from  afar,  but  woe 
betide  the  one  who  ventured  nearer,  until 
hailed  thither. 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS      103 

"No,  ye  ain't  ne'er  one  of  ye  goin'  ter  go 
t'arin'  down  ter  that  there  dock  when  the 
Idlewild  comes  in,  nor  ye  ain't  ne'er  one  of  ye 
goin'  near  Rooy  Hutty,  neither.  My  land 
o'light,  wherever  did  they  hit  on  sich  an  out- 
landish name,  anyhow?  Rooy  Hutty?  Say, 
Em'rald,  you've  spent  a  hull  year  at  the  High 
up  ter  Ticonderogy,  don't  you  know  what  that 
queer  soundin'  name  stands  for?"  demanded 
Mrs.  Colt,  turning  to  her  eldest  daughter, 
aged  sixteen,  who  was  turning  off  the  week's 
pile  of  ironing.  Emerald  had  spent  one  winter 
at  Ticonderoga  in  order  to  attend  the  High 
School  and  in  consequence  was  regarded  as  a 
shining  light  of  erudition  by  the  other  Colts. 
That  her  year  at  the  seat  of  learning  had  not 
overtaxed  her  intellectual  faculties  was 
promptly  made  evident  by  her  reply. 

" It's  a  foreign  name,  Ma,  and  you  know  we 
didn't  have  no  French  up  ter  High.  But  onct 
I  ast  Lizette  what  that  queer  name  meant  and 
she  said  some  sort  of  a  shanty.  Funny,  ain't 


104  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

it,  now,  how  them  city  folks  likes  ter  give 
furrin'  names  ter  places?" 

So  the  day  of  the  big  arrival  had  come  and 
gone  without  a  Colt  kicking  his  or  her  heels 
within  sight  or  sound  of  Ruheheute,  but  with 
the  dawn  of  the  new  day  things  began  to  stir 
in  the  Beehive.  That  ironing  had  meant 
fresh  raiment  (perhaps  blankets  or  sheets 
would  be  more  appropriate),  for  the  entire 
Colt  family,  for  never  had  they  failed  to  pay 
a  visit  of  ceremony  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
little  lady  of  Sans  Souci.  It  was  always  an 
event  looked  forward  to  for  weeks  beforehand, 
and  talked  about  long,  long  after  the  family's 
departure  in  October. 

That  Hope  was  so  much  stronger  this  year 
than  upon  any  former  one  had  been  speedily 
reported  by  "Pa"  and  "Aries"  the  eldest  son, 
a  boy  not  quite  eighteen,  when  they  came  in 
the  night  before,  for  they  had  been  at  the  dock 
when  the  Idlewild  arrived.  Nevertheless,  the 
thirteen  Colts  could  not  stir  foot  in  the  direc- 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS      105 

tion  of  Ruheheute  until  the  'phone  summoned 
them. 

It  was  a  glorious  morning.  Never  had  the 
lake  been  bluer,  never  had  each  little  wave 
sparkled  and  danced  more  gaily,  or  the  sky 
seemed  so  crystal  clear. 

Hope,  who  had  slept  soundly  throughout 
the  night,  was  as  blithe  as  the  birds  which 
carrolled  in  the  fairy-like  woodland  all  about 
her,  for  while  preserving  its  appearance  of 
wildness,  Sans  Souci  was  really  a  most  care- 
fully tended  and  cultivated  bit  of  land. 

At  ten  o'clock  Hope's  couch  was  placed  upon 
the  broad  piazza  in  a  perfect  bower  of  palms 
and  blooming  plants,  with  Rambler  roses 
festooning  the  roof  above  her,  and  white 
clematis  framing  a  vista  through  the  white 
birches  straight  down  to  the  water's  edge. 

In  a  pale  blue,  Japanese  linen,  exquisitely 
embroidered  in  white  wisteria,  Saito's  offering 
upon  the  previous  Christmas,  her  long,  bronze 
gold  curls  lying  in  rich  masses  upon  her 


1C6  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

snowy    cushions,    Hope   was    good   to   look 
upon. 

Beside  her  couch  was  a  low  wicker  table, 
upon  which  were  piled  thirteen  parcels  of 
various  sizes,  each  carefully  wrapped  in  white 
paper,  each  tied  with  gold  cord  and  in  each 
knot  a  little  cluster  of  marguerites.  The  star 
and  her  properties  were  at  hand  and  she  now 
awaited  her  audience. 

But  before  they  set  forth  from  the  Beehive 
let  us  drop  a  word  regarding  the  little  Colts. 

In  the  first  place,  their  mother  and  father 
lived  and  were  guided  by  The  Farmer's  Al- 
manac. Mrs.  Colt  was  deeply  impressed  by 
its  occult  teachings;  her  husband  by  its  pre- 
cepts regarding  planting  and  harvesting  and 
its  items  of  general  information.  Its  illus- 
trations, the  big  words  which  fairly  peppered 
it,  and  its  generally  thrilling  mysteries  appeal- 
ed to  Mrs.  Colt,  and  she  devoured  its  contents 
from  cover  to  cover,  alack!  little  the  wiser 
when  she  had  finished  its  perusal  than  when 
she  began  save  for  a  very  hodgepodge  of  high 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS       107 

sounding  words  and  names  which  pleased  her 
mightily  without  meaning  a  thing.  The  signs 
of  the  Zodiac  were  a  joy  to  her  soul;  the  names 
of  the  gems  which  were  supposed  to  be  the 
lucky  stones  for  each  special  month  thrilled 
her  to  the  very  center  of  her  being.  To  bring 
those  names  into  everyday  life  was  the  aim  of 
her  ambition,  and  that  aim  was  achieved  by 
bestowing  them  upon  her  luckless  children. 
Consequently,  a  most  astonishing  array  had 
grown  upon  the  leaf  of  the  family  Bible  which 
recorded  births.  They  totaled  thirteen  and 
ran  thus,  beginning  with  the  eldest  son  of  the 
house,  who  had  happened  to  arrive  upon  this 
earthly  scene  in  March  and  in  consequence  had 
to  journey  through  life  and  be  recorded  after 
his  demise  as  Aries.  There  appeared  to  be 
no  special  significance  to  the  name  further  than 
that  connected  with  the  Zodiacal  sign,  for 
long,  lank  Aries,  so  like  his  father,  upon  a 
smaller  scale,  was  quite  wanting  in  ram-like 
aggression.  The  name  of  Moses  might  have 
come  closer  to  the  mark. 


108  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Then  a  little  over  a  year  later  a  daughter  had 
arrived  upon  a  June  day  and  Emerald  became 
her  cognomen.  The  following  July  brought 
Ruby  and  this  name  came  nearer  being  ap- 
propriate than  any  of  the  others,  for  Ruby 
certainly  possessed  a  remarkably  red  crown. 

Nearly  two  years  passed  after  the  Ruby  was 
added  to  the  collection  of  jewels  and  then 
May  brought  two  sons  to  the  Colt  household. 
They  elected  to  arrive  on  the  same  day  so  the 
Almanac  had  to  do  double  duty,  and  Castor 
and  Pollux  joined  the  Zodiacal  signs.  Be- 
fore Castor  and  Pollux  could  navigate  un- 
aided, Sapphire  swelled  the  collection  with  her 
presence.  Then  two  sons  came  within  the 
next  three  years,  who  became  Leo  and  Tarus. 
In  time  a  certain  November  day  brought  a  son 
and  daughter,  who  shone  upon  the  list  as  Topaz 
and  Sagittarius.  Chrysolite  arrived  one  Sep- 
tember morning,  Carmelian  one  August  day, 
and  during  a  pouring  rainstorm  in  the  January 
of  the  winter  just  passed  Aquarius  opened  his 
blue  eyes  upon  this  earthly  scene,  making 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS       109 

thirteen  as  flourishing,  husky  youngsters  as 
could  be  found  in  the  Northern  woods,  and 
people  began  to  wonder  if  the  lucky,  or  un- 
lucky thirteen  would  prove  the  last.  Thus 
far,  poor  little  Aquarius  seemed  destined  to 
demonstrate  the  unlucky  superstition,  for  he 
had  already  experienced  three  or  four  hair- 
breadth escapes.  His  first  mishap  at  the  ten- 
der age  of  two  months,  had  nearly  proved  his 
last,  for  he  had  slipped  from  his  mother's  arms 
splash!  into  the  lake,  as  she  was  carrying  him 
across  the  bridge  which  connected  the  island 
with  the  mainland,  and  had  it  not  been  a 
plunge  into  what  might  be  regarded  as  his 
native  element,  poor  Aquarius'  story  might 
have  ended  before  it  was  well  begun. 

But  to  the  family's  pending  visit  to  Ruhe- 
heute. 

This  July  first  was  almost  as  important  a 
day  as  July  Fourth  inasmuch  as  it  was  cer- 
tainly a  high-day  and  holiday  for  the  Colts, 
lacking  only  fireworks  to  make  it  the  Fourth's 
equal. 


1 10  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Mrs.  Colt  was  busy  with  the  three  youngest 
of  her  tribe:  Emerald  was  laying  down  the 
law  to  those  next  in  line ;  those  still  older  were 
looking  to  their  own  adornment,  even  Aries 
having  a  day  off  to  attend  the  levee.  As  the 
last  scrubbee  was  scrubbed  to  the  shining 
stage,  the  last  member  of  the  house  of  Colt 
made  immaculate  as  to  smoothly  brushed 
hair,  buttons  in  holes,  and  shoestrings  tied, 
the  'phone  jingled  its  summons  and  a  stam- 
pede seemed  imminent, — a  stampede  promptly 
arrested  by  Ma  Colt's  peremptory  words. 

"Now,  see  here,  quit  it!  You,  Topaz  and 
Saggy,  just  take  holt  o'  Sappy's  and  Ruby's 
hands.  And  Castor  and  Pollux,  if  you  let 
Chryssy  and  'Nelie  git  so  much  as  one  step 
ahead  o'  you,  there'll  be  something  a-stirrin' 
when  ye  git  back  ter  home,  an'  don't  ye  fergit 
it,  neither.  Now,  Em'rald,  you  wheel  Aqua- 
rius in  his  go-cart  what  Mis'  Curtis  sent  him 
fer  his  bornin'  present,  an'  you,  Aries,  jist 
keep  yer  eyes  batted  to'ards  the  hull  kit  and 
boodle  of  them  kids,  cause  Em'rald's  gotter 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS      1 1 1 

make  Aquarius  make  the  show-up  of  his  life 
an'  can't  be  thinkin'  of  nothin'  else ;  for  if  she 
does  he's  goin'  ter  holler  bloody-murder,  like's 
not  an'  disgrace  himself  forever  'n  a  day. 
Course  he  can't  be  expected  ter  know  he's 
doin'  it,  but  it's  up  to  you  older  ones  ter  keep 
some  show  o'  dignity  in  the  fam'ly.  Now  go 
'long  an'  behave  yerselves,  and  you,  Topaz, 
and  Saggy,  just  fer  onct  try  ter  keep  on  earth. 
My  land  o'  light,  I  kin  most  times  count  on 
'tothers,  but  you  two  is  the  limit.  I  got  a 
mind  ter  give  Sapphy  a  good  sharp  pin  an'  let 
her  give  ye  both  a  stick  with  it,  if  ye  take  ter 
cavortin'.  Now  go  'long  quick,"  and  the  order 
being  issued  they  went,  Aries  leading  the  van, 
and  Emerald  bringing  up  the  rear,  trundling  the 
resplendant  Aquarius,  starched  to  within  an 
inch  of  his  young  life,  and  be-bowed  until  he 
resembled  the  pink  peonies  nodding  at  either 
side  of  his  triumphal  progress.  From  her 
resting  place  upon  the  piazza,  Hope  could  look 
up  the  beautiful  path  and  see  the  procession 
wending  its  way  toward  her. 


1 1 2  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"0,  Mother,  did  you  ever  see  anything  so 
funny  as  they  are?  Do  say  something  solemn 
to  keep  me  from  laughing  when  that  long, 
lanky  Aries  makes  his  bow  and  Emerald  makes 
her  speech.  I  wonder  how  long  it  takes  her 
to  learn  a  new  one  for  each  occasion,  and 
what  the  latest  will  be  like?  I've  asked  Miss 
Woodward  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  upon  Topaz 
and  Sagittarius  during  its  delivery,  and  I'm 
going  to  keep  my  eyes  tight  upon  this  cluster 
of  flowers,  or  I'll  disgrace  myself  as  sure  as  can 
be." 

As  the  procession  drew  near,  broad  grins 
were  discernible  upon  the  faces  of  the  younger 
members  of  the  tribe  of  Colt,  but  Aries,  Em- 
erald, Ruby  and  Sapphire  were  too  heavily 
burdened  with  their  sense  of  responsibility  to 
smile. 

As  they  entered  the  main  walk  leading  up 
to  the  piazza,  Hope  waved  her  hand  gaily  and 
cried: 

"Oh,  come  as  fast  as  you  can,  please;  I  am 
so  anxious  to  see  Aquarius,"  whereupon  the 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS       113 

procession  broke  into  double  time,  small,  fat 
Aquarius  wobbling  about  in  his  go-cart  as 
though  he  were  almost  as  unstable  as  the  ele- 
ment for  which  he  was  named. 

On  reaching  the  piazza  all  paused  for  Aries 
to  precede  them  up  the  two  steps  and  make  the 
customary  opening  salutation,  Emerald  and 
the  others  standing  at  attention  (as  they  un- 
derstood it),  and  waiting  with  bated  breaths. 

Aries  went  to  the  foot  of  the  couch,  stopped 
short,  brought  his  heels  together  and  bowed 
from  the  hips.  He  was  exactly  like  a  jack- 
knife  being  opened  and  closed,  but  no  one 
guessed  how  he  had  covertly  watched  Ray- 
mond Curtis,  Jr.,  and  practiced  for  hours  in 
the  garage  to  imitate  his  walk,  his  carriage, 
his  bow;  for  Raymond  Curtis  was  poor  Aries' 
model  in  manners  correct,  and  during  each 
September  Leave  which  Raymond,  in  com- 
mon with  all  midshipmen  at  Annapolis,  en- 
joyed, Aries  studied  his  model  at  every  pos- 
sible range.  Hence  the  bow  which  he  fondly 


114  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

believed  to  be  a  very  replica  of  Raymond's, 
and  his: 

"Very  glad  indeed  to  see  yer  back  ter  Sands 
Sooky,  Miss  Hope." 

"I  am  so  happy  to  be  here,  Aries/'  answered 
Hope,  offering  her  dainty  hand. 

Aries  reached  forward  to  clasp  it  in  his  big 
brown  one  when,  from  sheer  force  of  habit,  he 
drew  it  back,  and  though  it  had  barely  twenty 
minutes  before  been  submitted  to  a  cleansing 
with  "Dutch  Cleaner,"  drew  the  palm  across 
the  seat  of  his  trousers  at  which  juncture 
Castor  blurted  out: 

"Oh,  yer  boob,  ye've  washed  yer  hands!" 

There  is  no  telling  how  embarrassing  a  mo- 
ment might  have  ensued  had  not  Hope  reached 
a  little  further  toward  him  and  said : 

"Doesn't  my  hand  look  bigger  and  stronger 
than  it  did  last  June  when  I  came  to  Sans 
Souci?" 

The  tiny  hand  instantly  vanished  from  sight 
in  Aries'  paw,  as  he  stammered: 

"Why — why — the  hull  of  ye  looks  bigger 


NEIGHBORS  AND  FRIENDS       1 15 

'n  stronger  somehow;  an'  it's  a  sight  fer  sore 
eyes,  sure." 

Hope  laughed  happily  and  said: 

"Now,  Emerald,  please  come  up  to  see  me 
and  bring  Baby  Aquarius." 

But  the  moment  for  presenting  "Baby 
Aquarius"  had  not  yet  arrived.  First  must 
come  the  speech  of  welcome. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  RESCUE 

Thrusting  the  handle  of  the  go-cart  into 
Sapphire's  hand,  probably  because  she  hap- 
pened to  be  the  one  nearest  at  the  moment, 
though  saner  thought  would  have  dictated 
almost  any  other  guardian  for  Aquarius, 
Emerald  stumbled  up  the  steps,  the  stumble 
only  increasing  her  confusion,  and  coming 
close  to  Hope,  made  the  courtsey  taught  at 
Ticonderogy's  High.  It  was  a  cross  between 
a  duck  and  the  squat  of  our  "squat-tag"  days, 
and  came  near  proving  Hope's  undoing,  but 
she  rallied  her  powers  to  ask : 

"Are  you  quite  well,  Emerald,  and  have  you 
one  of  your  lovely  speeches  to  make  for  me? 
I  am  very  flattered  to  have  you  take  so  much 
trouble  on  my  account." 

"Yes,  Miss  Hope.    I  learnt  a  verse  this 


THE  RESCUE  117 

time,   'cause  you  said  last  year  you  loved 

po'try.    Shall  I  say  it?" 
"Please  do;  I'm  wild  to  hear  it." 
Emerald  struck  the  attitude  taught  at  High, 

drew  in  a  long  breath  and — held  it.     Not  a 

sound  escaped  the  lips  for  a  moment,  then: 

"C-c-come  in  the  evenin'  or  c-c-come 

in  the  mornin', 
C-come  when  yer  lo-lo-looked  fer,  er 

come  without  warnin' 
K-k-ki-ki-kisses  an'  welcome  yer'll  find 

here  before  you, 
An'  the  oftener  yer  c-c-come  here  the 

more  we'll  adore  yer!" 

No  pen  can  possibly  convey  the  degree  of 
effort  which  was  required  to  launch  this 
effusion,  and  poor  Emerald  was  perspiring 
from  every  pore,  and  painfully  intertwining 
her  fingers  long  before  the  end  was  reached, 
but  the  applause  which  greeted  the  con- 
cluding word  proved  the  finishing  stroke. 
To  the  confused  girl  it  seemed  to  come 


118  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

from  every  direction,  and,  in  fact,  did,  for 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis,  who  had  been  con- 
cealed in  the  big  living-room,  Miss  Forrester, 
who  stood  near  Hope,  Miss  Woodward  and 
Saito,  who  were  in  the  dining-room  arranging 
the  refreshments  which  were  never  omitted, 
clapped  vigorously,  all  the  Colt's  following 
suit. 

But,  alas!  Sapphire,  the  guardian  of  Aqua- 
rius, should  have  had  other  occupation  for 
her  hands,  but  Sapphire  was  never  over-re- 
liable. During  the  recital,  the  children  had 
drawn  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  piazza,  "Sap- 
phy"  among  them,  leaving  the  go-cart  and 
its  occupant  unguarded. 

Now  it  so  chanced  that  the  smooth  concrete 
walk  upon  which  the  go-cart  stood  was  on  an 
incline,  and  that  incline  led  straight  to  the  con- 
crete dock  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  As  the  verse 
progressed,  Aquarius  grew  restless;  usually  he 
was  the  center  of  attraction.  He  jounced  and 
wriggled.  The  go-cart  stirred,  perhaps  we 


THE  RESCUE  119 

might  say  "it  started,  moved  and  seemed  to 
feel  the  thrill  of  life  along  its  keel." 

At  all  events,  it  surely  "got  under  way/' 
and  all  unnoticed,  gained  rapid  headway, 
speeding  merrily  upon  its  way  toward  the  lake, 
itc  youthful  voyager  hilariously  gurgling  and 
chuckling  as  its  speed  increased. 

Emerald  had  uttered  her  last  word,  con- 
torted herself  into  the  concluding  curtsey, 
when  Sapphire  absently  reached  back  her  hand 
for  the  go-cart  handle,  only  to  grasp  empty 
air. 

The  next  second  there  was  a  shriek  chorused 
by  yells  which  waked  the  echoes  upon  the 
further  shores  of  the  lake,  and  the  stampede 
which  ensued  could  hardly  have  rivalled  one 
resulting  from  a  foray  of  Indians  in  the  days 
when  the  beautiful  lake  had  been  the  scene 
of  terrible  conflict.  Emerald  tore  down  the 
steps,  nor  paused  upon  the  order  of  her  going. 
Aries'  long  legs  reminded  one  of  the  "Three- 
Legged-Arms"  of  the  Manxmen,  for  he  seemed 
to  be  the  possessor  of  three  legs  rather  than 


120  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

two,  so  rapidly  did  they  strike  the  ground  and 
again  fly  upward.  But  it  would  have  required 
even  more  than  the  three  legs  of  the  Manxmen 
to  overtake  the  run-away  go-cart. 

On  tore  the  tribe  of  Colt,  with  Aries  well  in 
the  lead,  and  on  tore  Aquarius,  headed  straight 
for  the  element  of  which  he  was  the  godling, 
joining  his  howls  to  the  shrieks  behind  him, 
for  their  terror  had  been  imparted  to  him,  and 
the  poor  baby  began  to  grasp  something  of  the 
plunge  ahead  of  him. 

The  crisis  came  just  as  Aries'  foot  touched 
the  upper  end  of  the  pier.  A  yell,  a  splash,  a 
shower  of  spray,  and  Aquarius  vanished  from 
sight,  his  exit  from  the  scene  accompanied  by 
the  frantic  shrieks  and  screams  of  his  kindred. 

As  the  startling  truth  of  what  had  happened 
come  to  Hope,  she  cried  aloud: 

"Oh,  Daddy!  Daddy!  Quick!  Quick!"  and 
never  was  cry  more  promptly  responded  to. 
Mr.  Curtis  was  upon  the  piazza  at  a  bound, 
and  a  glance  showed  him  the  truth.  He 
joined  the  pursuers. 


THE  RESCUE  121 

But  that  cry  of  fear  had  brought  still  another 
to  her  side,  one  who  would  have  felt  his  life  glo- 
riously sacrificed  in  her  service,  were  such 
sacrifice  called  for. 

Saito's  sharp  black  eyes  grasped  the  situ- 
ation instantly,  and  he  was  off  like  a  projec- 
tile from  a  rapid  firing  gun,  casting  from  him 
as  he  ran  his  white  duck  jacket,  and  kicking 
his  small  feet  free  of  their  low  shoes. 

Never  had  Hope  or  those  upon  the  piazza 
seen  such  speed.  How  little  they  guessed  that 
back  home  in  Japan,  Saito  had  held  the  cham- 
pionships for  track  and  wrestling  in  his  Uni- 
versity. He  swept  by  Aquarius'  pursuers  as 
though  they  were  stationary,  reached  the 
pier  and  in  the  beating  of  a  pulse  was  in  the 
lake  swimming  toward  the  go-cart,  which 
luckily,  being  made  of  wood  and  rattan,  float- 
ed, though  it  had  promptly  turned  bottom- 
side-up,  thus  instantly  submerging  its  strap- 
bound  occupant.  It  would  not  have  required 
many  seconds  to  put  an  end  to  "The  Water 
Bearer's"  career.  "Water  Bearer?"  Alack! 


122  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

that  his  name's  origin  should  so  nearly  prove 
his  undoing. 

Saito  grasped  the  cart,  gave  a  dexterous 
twist,  and  brought  the  poor  half-suffocated 
baby  up  to  the  surface.  A  few  powerful 
strokes  and  he  had  his  awkward  burden  up 
to  the  pier,  where  Aries  and  Emerald  reached 
forth  to  bring  both  cart  and  baby  to  terra 
firma,  Saito  scrambling  out  amidst  a  volley 
of  words,  presumably  thanks,  though  everyone 
talked  at  once,  and  Saito  himself  added  to  the 
babel  with  voluable  Japanese. 

Emerald  hastily  unstrapped  the  gasping 
child  and  would  have  undoubtedly  put  the 
finishing  stroke  to  his  career,  had  not  Miss 
Forrester  arrived  upon  the  scene,  and  prompt- 
ly flopping  him  over,  proceeded  to  compel  the 
disgorgement  of  a  larger  quantity  of  water 
than  the  small  man  had  ever  swallowed  in  the 
whole  course  of  his  brief  existence. 

Once  this  was  accomplished  and  Aquarius 
out  of  danger,  she  hurried  the  dripping  child 
up  to  the  bungalow,  where  she  vanished  within 


THE  RESCUE  123 

doors,  the  weeping  Emerald  close  upon  her 
heels,  and  Hope's  voice  calling: 

"Oh,  Miss  Forrester,  will  he  be  ill?" 

"Not  for  a  moment,  dear;  Saito  did  the 
trick  to  perfection.  I'll  be  back  before  you 
can  say  Jack  Robinson." 

Just  then  Saito  was  seen  hurrying  around  to 
the  rear  of  the  bungalow  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Curtis,  the  latter  calling  out  to  Hope : 

"No  harm  done  at  all.  Just  a  grand  duck- 
ing all  around.  Don't  worry,  darling,"  as  he 
went  with  the  little  man. 

Saito  protested  that:  "Curtis-Sama  no 
mage  come  wid  Saito.  Not  ride.  Saito  all 
same  fish.  Water  ride  place  when  day  hot. 
Now  go  mage  dry.  No  fit  coming  near 
augustly  honorable  domicile.  No  led  Okka- 
san  loog!  My  crashes!  Okka-san  nod  loog 
on  Saito  while  wed  lige  rag!  Loog  lige  soach 
silliest  man." 

But  in  spite  of  his  protests,  Mr.  Curtis  saw 
that  Saito  had  every  attention  from  the  other 


124  HOPE'S  /MESSENGER 

servants,  and  then  went  back  to  the  piazza  to 
calm  Hope's  alarm. 

Hope,  Mrs.  Curtis  and  Miss  Woodward  had 
their  hands  full,  however,  for  the  Colts  had 
not  yet  recovered  from  their  terror,  and  Sap- 
phire, the  cause  of  the  disaster,  was  on  the 
verge  of  hysterics  between  her  remorse  at  the 
consequences  of  her  heedlessness  and  her  fears 
of  what  awaited  her  in  the  Beehive.  So  her 
hostesses  had  their  hands  full. 

At  last  Hope  had  an  inspiration:  The  pile 
of  parcels  upon  the  wicker  table!  Of  course! 

Each  year,  upon  coming  to  Sans  Souci,  Hope 
brought  gifts  for  the  Colts.  If  a  new  Colt  had 
arrived,  it  must  be  a  gift  which  suited  his  or 
her  date  of  advent.  Consequently  each  Colt 
boasted  a  birth-stone  given  by  the  "Little 
Daisy  Maiden." 

Of  course,  Aries,  Emerald  and  several  of 
the  others  had  been  upon  the  scene  as  long  as 
Hope  could  remember,  but  the  last  five  had 
arrived  within  her  recollection  and  she  had, 
with  her  own  hands,  selected  the  appropriate 


THE  RESCUE  125 

gifts  for  them,  Mrs.  Curtis  having  seen  to 
the  earlier  arrivals  as  he  or  she  had  come. 
Nevertheless,  each  year  a  gift  of  some  sort  was 
chosen  for  this  day  upon  which  Hope  held 
court,  and  the  gifts  now  lay  piled  beside  her, 
their  presentation  having  been  delayed  by  the 
recent  catastrophe.  So  she  got  busy  at  once, 
and  in  a  few  moments  the  wails,  sobs  or  howls 
subsided,  as  each  child  received  some  pretty 
little  token  of  Hope's  personal  thought,  each 
face  breaking  into  broad,  ecstatic  grins. 

Aries  became  the  proud  possessor  of  a  silver 
watch.  Emerald  nearly  wept  for  joy  when 
she  lifted  from  its  bed  of  cotton  a  pretty  four- 
leaf-clover  pin.  Ruby  had  a  gorgeous,  blue 
Dresden  sash.  Castor  and  Pollux  being  twins, 
must  share  alike,  and  two  collapsible  fishing- 
rods  brought  them  to  the  verge  of  enthusiastic 
yells.  Sapphire  had  a  little  silver  bracelet. 
For  Leo,  who  loved  to  browse  rQuii'd- the  woods, 
there  was  a  wonderful^  bodkx  >a$out  birds. 
Tarus,  who  lived  up  to  his  name,vwas  sent  into 
the  seventh  heaven  when  he  opened  his  pack- 


J26  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

age  to  find  a  full  outfit  of  baseball  togs. 
Topaz  and  Sagittatius,  also  twins,  each  had 
pretty  duck  sailor  suits,  thus  solving  the  prob- 
lems for  twins  of  opposite  sexes.  Chrysolite 
found  a  lovely  doll  in  her  long  box,  and  Car- 
nelian,  the  almost  baby,  a  woolly  dog.  Now 
but  one  parcel  remained,  that  intended  for 
Aquarius,  and  just  then  Miss  Forrester  brought 
the  crowing  baby,  absolutely  none  the  worse 
for  his  impromptu  bath,  out  upon  the  piazza. 
He  was  rolled  in  one  of  Hope's  kimonos  against 
the  moment  when  his  own  garments,  by 
Lizette's  skilful  fingers,  should  be  dried  and 
ironed  to  receive  him. 

"Oh,  please  bring  him  here!  Please  do. 
Isn't  he  round  and  rosy  as  a  pippin'."  Cried 
Hope,  and  Miss  Forrester  sat  down  beside  the 
couch. 

Now  as  everyone  knows,  the  garnet  is  the 
lucky  stone  for  January,  the  month  over  which 
Aquarius  rules.  Consequently,  this  godson 
of  the  great  Water  Bearer  must  have  a  garnet 
in  some  form.  All  his  brothers  and  sisters 


THE  RESCUE  127 

had  their  birth-stones  and  Mrs.  Curtis  often 
wondered  what  would  be  her  resort  if  Colts 
continued  to  arrive  with  such  amazing  reg- 
ularity until  both  gems  and  names  gave  out. 
But  so  far,  the  day  was  saved,  and  Emerald 
and  the  others  had  their  raptures  over  a  set 
of  baby  pins  and  studs,  each  boasting  its  tiny 
garnet. 

After  this  excitement  had  subsided  came  the 
refreshments,  but  before  they  had  disappeared 
Miss  Forrester  issued  her  order:  " Enough 
excitement  for  one  day!"  and  Hope  was  rolled 
into  her  own  room  to  rest  for  an  hour  before 
her  luncheon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  remaining 
upon  the  piazza  to  start  their  visitors  upon 
their  homeward  way.  Lizette  meanwhile, 
had  ironed,  aired  and  restored  to  Aquarius  his 
own  garments. 

The  procession  was  just  starting  homeward, 
Aquarius  now  borne  in  Emerald's  arms  instead 
of  returning  as  he  had  come,  for  the  go-cart 
for  the  time  being  was  entirely  out  of  commis- 
sion, when  Sapphire  dropped  out  of  ranks  and 


128  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

fell  back  to  linger  at  the  end  of  the  bungalow. 

"Come  on,  Sapphy,"  called  Emerald,  but 
still  Sapphy  hung  fire. 

"Don't  you  hear  me,"  repeated  Emerald 
sharply.  "What  yer  hangin'  behind  fer? 
Ma'll  have  it  in  fer  yer  if  yer  don't  come  'long 
with  the  rest  of  us." 

"She  will  anyhow,"  was  Sapphy's  indis- 
putable retort.  "She'll  paddle  me  fer  sure, 
an'  I  didn't  mean  ter  drown  Aquie.  I  don't 
want  ter  go  back, "  and  a  long  wail  testified 
to  Sapphire's  aversion  to  ending  her  holiday 
with  the  "paddling"  promised  by  her  mother 
to  the  child  who  should  bring  discredit  upon 
the  house  of  Colt  that  day. 

"Well,  maybe  yer  didn't  mean  ter,  but 
not  meanin'  ter  didn  't  keep  Aquie  from  gittin' 
most  drownded,  and  yer  might  jist  as  well 
make  up  yer  mind  ter  take  what 's  comin'  ter 
yer  an'  git  it  over  with.  If  yer'd  minded 
me  yer  wouldn't  be  in  fer  a  larrapin'  now," 
was  Emerald's  unsympathetic  retort,  as  she 
yanked  the  dead  weight  of  the  corpulent 


THE  RESCUE  129 

Aquarius  a  hitch  higher  upon  her  shoulder. 
Lugging  the  heavy  baby  up  the  steep  hill 
was  no  light  burden,  for  having  been  full-fed 
by  Lizette,  he  had  promptly  fallen  sound 
asleep. 

Now  it  so  chanced  that  Mrs.  Curtis,  who 
had  strolled  to  the  end  of  the  piazza  to  watch 
her  departing  guests  wend  their  way  home- 
ward, was  the  unsuspected  eavesdropper  to 
this  little  side-show  not  set  down  upon  the 
morning's  program,  and  her  warm  heart  was 
touched  at  the  thought  of  such  an  unhappy 
ending  to  what  had  been  a  most  happy  morn- 
ing, in  spite  of  their  fright. 

"Poor  little  soul,"  she  murmured,  "it  will 
be  a  shame  if  she  has  to  be  punished  as  a 
climax  to  her  mishap.  The  fright  was 
enough  punishment,  I  think.  I  shall  cer- 
tainly have  to  avert  a  further  catastrophe 
if  1  can,"  and  slipping  out  of  the  side  en- 
trance of  the  bungalow,  she  followed  her  re- 
treating guests  up  to  the  Beehive,  arriving 
there  only  a  few  seconds  behind  them.  Mrs. 


130  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Curtis  was  nothing  if  not  tactful,  and  had 
soon  explained  the  mishap,  and  expressed 
the  hope  that  Sapphire  would  be  pardoned 
because  every  one  had  been  so  charmed  with 
Emerald's  recital  of  her  poetry  that  it  was 
hardly  surprising  that  they  had  completely 
forgotten  everything  else. 

Oh,  thou  gentle  art  of  flattery,  how 
potent  thy  powers.  Truly  as  the  old  Vir- 
ginia Mammy  phrased  it: 

"Dar's  a  heap  mo'  flies  ketched  wid 'lasses 
dan  wid  vinegar. " 

Indeed,  Mrs.  Colt  was  so  flattered  and 
flustered  by  the  visit  itself,  quite  independent 
of  its  covert  object,  that  she  did  not  cease 
smiling  the  entire  afternoon  and  when  Lizette 
trundled  the  dried  and  rehabilitated  go-cart 
up  to  its  rightful  owner  during  the  evening, 
she  questioned  whether  the  accident  had  really 
been  so  very  serious  after  all,  so  little  the 
worse  did  either  cart  or  baby  seem.  Nor 
did  her  older  offspring  feel  called  upon  to 
enlarge  upon  the  matter. 


CHAPTER  IX 

BEATRICE 

A  month  had  gone  by.  The  Fourth  of 
July  had  been  celebrated  with  many  fire- 
crackers for  the  Colts,  but  none  within  close 
range  of  Ruheheute,  as  their  report  dis- 
turbed Hope;  the  little  girl  was  not  strong 
enough  for  the  traditional  Independence  Day 
racket.  So  the  fusillade  common  to  the  day 
was  confined  to  the  Colt's  boundaries  and  to 
the  further  end  of  the  island,  where  Beatrice 
Packard,  whom  no  amount  of  noise  could 
disturb,  held  her  celebration  from  daylight 
till  nine-thirty  sent  her  to  bed.  Fortunately 
the  island  was  nearly  a  mile  long  and  the 
noise  was  not  audible  at  Ruheheute.  So 
madcap  Beatrice  had  things  pretty  much 
her  own  way  for  Mrs.  Packard's  time  was  too 
filled  with  morning  Bridge  Parties,  after- 


132  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

noon  motor  excursions  and  evening  hops  given 
at  the  big  hotel  on  the  mainland  to  leave  her 
very  much  time  to  devote  to  her  small  daugh- 
ter's training.  There  was  one  rule,  however, 
which  the  little  hoyden  never  thus  far  had 
broken.  She  had  never  trespassed  upon 
Ruheheute's  territory  without  an  invitation, 
or  asking  permission  to  do  so.  So  her  Fourth 
of  July  festivities  did  not  disturb  Hope, 
though  all  the  Packards  went  over  to  Ruhe- 
heute  during  the  evening  to  see  the  display 
of  beautiful  fireworks  which,  under  Saito's 
ordering,  had  been  sent  from  New  York  and 
were  set  off  under  his  supervision.  Truly  a 
wonderful  exhibition.  That  Mrs.  Packard 
had  been  nearly  bored  to  extinction  Mrs. 
Curtis  knew  full  well,  but  concluded  it  would 
be  a  wholesome  discipline  for  the  lady  to 
follow  some  one's  else  inclination  just  once 
in  a  blue  moon,  and  nothing  could  have 
equalled  Beatrice's  and  Mr.  Packard's  en- 
joyment. 

So  the  month  had  gone,  divided  between 


BEATRICE  133 

days  of  pleasure,  rest,  happiness  and  alas! 
some  of  anxiety,  weariness  and  pain,  for  Hope 
had  her  off  days  when  all  she  had  gained 
seemed  slipping  away  again,  and  the  shadows 
fell  upon  Ruheheute  as  they  had  so  often 
fallen  upon  the  big  house  in  the  city.  Still 
in  the  long  run  she  did  gain,  and  none  was 
more  alive  to  this  fact  than  Miss  Forrester, 
who  realized  better  even  than  Mrs.  Curtis 
how  much  two  steps  forward  to  one  backward 
meant,  which  for  years  seemed  to  be  the  order. 
Hope's  relapses  were  less  frequent,  she  rallied 
more  quickly,  and  the  effects  were  less  lasting. 
The  month  of  July  certainly  had  much  to  its 
credit,  and  this  warm  August  morning  found 
the  Little  Daisy  Maiden  resting  comfortably 
and  happily  upon  her  couch,  which  at  her 
request  had  been  carried  out  upon  the  beauti- 
ful lawn  and  placed  in  a  little  grove  of  Japa- 
nese maples,  whose  rich  bronze  foliage  car- 
ried out  the  color  scheme  of  her  own  gold  and 
bronze  tints,  though  she  never  suspected  that 
fact.  On  a  low  wicker  chair  close  at  hand 


134  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Mrs.  Curtis  sat  reading  aloud  from  a  won- 
derful book  of  Japanese  fairy  tales.  Saito's 
latest  offering  to  his  Hinohime.  Mrs.  Curtis 
often  wondered  at  his  extensive  knowledge 
of  the  literature  of  his  country  and  his  ability 
to  obtain  such  fine  translations,  for  this  was 
by  no  means  the  first  book  he  had  presented 
to  Hope,  and  each  one  so  beautifully  illus- 
trated. 

Mrs.  Curtis  was  in  the  midst  of  the  mar- 
velous adventures  of  O-fugi-nama  (Miss 
Waves-of-the-wisteria-blossom)  when  Saito 
came  out  upon  the  lawn.  Smiling  and  bowing 
he  said: 

"Saito  mage  hai-yaku-hai  (a  hundred 
bows)  to  the  honorable  Okka-san  and  Yoshi- 
Ko.  Saito  bring  telephony  message  which 
all  time  coming  from  Misses  Be-a-trees. 
She  comin'  mage  some  liddle  bid  visit  at 
Yoshi-Ko  if  Okka-san  mage  agreeable?" 

"Miss  Beatrice  wishes  to  come  to  see  Miss 
Hope  this  morning?"  queried  Mrs.  Curtis. 


BEATRICE  135 

"  Yes,  madam.  All  same  ride  away.  Saito 
tellin'  'yes'?" 

"Do  you  feel  equal  to  Beatrice  today, 
darling?"  asked  Mrs.  Curtis  tenderly. 

"I'd  love  to  see  her.  She  will  be  sure  to 
come  in  some  odd  way,  or  do  something  funny 
to  make  me  laugh ;  she  always  does.  Please 
let  her  come. " 

'You  may  say  we  shall  be  delighted  to 
see  her,  Saito." 

As  Saito  disappeared  Mrs.  Curtis  laugh- 
ingly remarked:  "Now  we  will  await  devel- 
opments. " 

They  did  not  have  to  wait  very  long. 
Within  twenty  minutes  there  was  a  jingling 
of  bells  far  down  the  drive-way  which  led 
to  Ruheheute,  and  then  appeared  a  most 
amazing  creature.  Two  creatures?  Yes,  a 
very  moving  menagerie  of  creatures,  the 
propelling  power  being  the  four  nimble  legs 
of  a  little  gray  mule.  She  might  have  popped 
straight  out  of  some  old  Spanish  town,  so 
gorgeously  was  she  caparisoned.  Her  head- 


136  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

stall  was  bedight  with  a  gay  Roman  sash 
which,  beginning  in  a  huge  bow  between  her 
erect  ears,  was  thence  festooned  along  her 
neck  to  her  withers,  where  it  joined  a  many 
colored  Byzantine  scarf  encircling  her  neck, 
its  broad  ends  flopping  down  upon  each 
knee.  Over  her  back  and  sailing  gaily  out 
behind,  as  in  the  "days  of  tourney  and  of 
tilt"  was  a  brilliantly  striped  couch  cover, 
its  broad  bands  of  blue,  crimson,  yellow  and 
green  visible  half  a  mile  off.  So  much  for 
her  small  muleship.  Now  a  word  for  her 
fantastic  rider. 

Beatrice,  of  course!  Beatrice  arrayed  a 
la  lady  who  "rode  a  white  horse  to  Banbury 
Cross,"  though  at  second  glance  one  might 
suspect  complex  or  compound  personalities. 
But  let  us  begin  at  the  top. 

On  her  dark  little  gypsy  crown  was  a  bright 
pink  sunbonnet.  Over  her  shoulders  a  rare, 
pale  blue  crepe  shawl,  unconcernedly  bor- 
rowed from  her  mother's  chiffonier,  was 
pinned,  for  as  usual  mamma  was  not  at  home, 


BEATRICE  137 

and  the  maids  had  other  concerns  than 
guarding  their  absent  mistress's  belongings, 
or  controlling  Miss  Beatrice.  They  might 
have  found  their  hands  full  had  they  attempt- 
ed to  do  so.  Her  dress  was  her  own  little, 
bright  pink  linen  frock,  her  legs  and  feet 
hanging  bare,  brown  and  plump  from  beneath 
its  kilted  skirt.  Shoes  and  stockings  had 
been  discarded,  but  upon  each  toe  was  fas- 
tened a  tinkling  bell,  and  bells  of  all  sizes 
were  hung  upon  Cassandra's  head-stall,  at 
the  end  of  the  little  mule's  tail,  and  along  her 
bridle,  while  still  more  bells  adorned  her 
draperies.  She  was  a  truly  gorgeous  animal, 
running  her  rider  a  close  race  for  honors  in 
the  costuming  prize,  should  one  be  forth- 
coming from  any  quarter. 

Ambling  easily  up  the  driveway,  with  every 
bell  tinkling,  she  bore  her  funny,  fantastic 
little  rider,  who  in  turn  was  bearing  all  her 
strong  little  arms  could  manage.  On  one 
she  carried  a  big  basket,  the  lid  fastened 
securely  down.  On  the  other  squawked  and 


138  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

hissed  alternately  a  great  white  goose,  his 
long  neck  stretched  out  over  her  shoulder. 
How  in  the  world  the  child  contrived  to  keep 
her  seat  and  hold  her  burdens  at  the  same 
time  no  adult  mind  should  venture  to  guess. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  from  babyhood  she  had 
ridden  everything  and  anything  ridable  upon 
the  place,  from  her  father's  big  saddle  horse 
to  the  red  heifer  out  in  the  pasture.  A  small 
mule  was  a  simple  proposition,  even  with  a 
goose  and  a  basket  added. 

"Here  we  are!  Here  we  come!  Good- 
morning,  Mrs.  Curtis!  Hello,  Hope!  Hear 
my  bells?  I  'm  the  old  lady  who  rode  a  white 
horse  to  Banbury  Cross,  only  she's  a  gray 
mule,  but  that  doesn  't  matter  a  bit.  Whoa, 
Cassy!"  she  ended,  and  Cassy  "whoaed" 
without  more  ado.  She  had  been  the  com- 
panion of  this  small  rider  too  long  not  to 
understand  her  words  and  obey  them,  though 
she  promptly  elected  to  respond  with  a  re- 
sounding bray,  which  so  terrified  the  poor 
goose  that  she  added  to  the  din  with  a  wild 


BEATRICE  139 

quack  and  a  frantic  struggle  for  liberty, 
which  sent  her  half  tumbling,  half  flying  to 
the  ground,  where  she  calmly  settled  herself 
at  Mrs.  Curtis'  feet. 

"Why,  Beatrice  Packard!  What  in  this 
world  are  you  up  to?"  cried  that  lady,  nearly 
convulsed  by  the  spectacle,  as  was  Hope. 

"I'm  playing  fairy-tales  and  Mother  Goose 
and  Alice  in  Wonderland  all  at  once.  Don't 
you  think  I  'm  splendid?  Hear  my  bells,  and 
see  my  rings,  and  wouldn't  mother  be  just 
crazy  if  she  knew?"  laughed  the  incorrigible 
one,  raising  first  one  hand  and  then  the  other 
to  display  its  decorations,  which  proved  to  be 
no  more  nor  less  than  her  mother's  valuable 
rings,  taken  from  her  jewel-case  without  a 
"by  your  leave. "  Each  finger  was  a-glitter, 
the  rings  in  some  cases  fitting  but  in  others 
tied  on.  There  were  almost  priceless  rubies, 
pearls,  diamonds,  sapphires  and  opals  upon 
the  child's  fingers,  for  Mrs.  Packard  had  a  per- 
fect passion  for  costly  jewels.  Mrs.  Curtis 
sprang  to  her  feet,  crying: 


140  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

" Beatrice  Packard!  You  little  madcap. 
Where  did  you  get  your  mother's  beautiful 
rings?  Why  child,  you  petrify  me.  Oh,  I 
hope  you  haven't  lost  any.  Give  them  to 
me,  honey,  please!" 

"Oh,  1  can't.  It  would  spoil  me,"  cried 
the  heroine,  drawing  back.  "You  see  I've 
got  to  have  rings  on  my  fingers  if  I  have  bells 
on  my  toes,"  and  the  ten  toes  were  stuck 
stright  out  before  her  to  testify  to  the  fact 
that  she  had  strictly  adhered  to  the  details. 

Now  Mrs.  Curtis'  methods  and  Mrs.  Pack- 
ard's were  quite  unlike  in  dealing  with  unruly 
ones.  Indeed,  Mrs.  Curtis  had  never  had 
to  exercise  authority,  but  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  she  would  not  have  resorted  to  the  same 
order  which  Mrs.  Packard  usually  adopted. 

Advancing  toward  her  visitor  she  said, 
while  Hope  looked  on  in  suspense: 

"Beatrice,  honey,  we  love  to  have  you  visit 
us  and  we  are  delighted  with  this  new  sur- 
prise, only  I  can't  permit  it  to  go  on  if  you 
are  going  to  take  such  risks.  Those  rings 


BEATRICE  141 

are  Mamma's  not  yours  to  use,  dear,  and  you 
should  not  have  taken  them ;  you  are  sensible 
enough  to  know  that,  without  it  being  neces- 
sary for  me  to  tell  you  so,  for  you  are  a  very 
clever  little  girl,  I  think.  But  if  those  rings 
were  lost,  Mamma  could  very  justly  blame 
me,  and " 

"Oh,  no,  she  couldn't,  M.rs.  Curtis. 
You  didn't  know  a  thing  about  it." 

"Ah,  yes,  but  I  do  now,  and  she  would  be 
very  angry,  I  am  sure.  Do  you  love  me, 
dear?" 

"Just  heaps  and  heaps.  Better  than  any 
grown-up  I  know,"  was  the  qualified  answer. 

"  Then  you  would  not  spoil  my  morning  and 
make  me  very  unhappy,  would  you?" 

"But  I  couldn't!" 

"Yes,  you  can,  if  you  keep  me  anxious 
every  moment,  and  Hope,  also.  We  would 
forget  all  the  fun  in  our  anxiety  for  the  safety 
of  the  rings." 

The  piquant  little  gypsy  face  looking  down 
upon  her  out  of  its  pink  sunbonnet  grew  very 


142  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

serious.  The  lines  of  the  pretty  cherry-red 
lips  drooped.  The  low  forehead  puckered 
into  a  frown,  then  a  deep  sigh  of  resignation 
welled  up,  and  two  little  brown  paws  were 
held  out  toward  Mrs.  Curtis  as  reluctantly 
came  the  words: 

"Take — 'em — off — quick,  please."  Then 
with  lightning-like  change.  "And  hide 'em 
out  of  sight  before  I  get  mad!  I  wouldn't 
do  it  for  any  one,  not  even  Mamma,  without 
a  regular  fight  for  it,  but — but — I  '11  do  it  for 
you,  because  your  voice  is  as  soft  and  tinkly 
as  my  bells  and — and — I  love  you. " 

Mrs.  Curtis  took  the  valuable  rings  very 
gently  from  the  extended  fingers,  and  dropped 
them  into  a  little  bag  at  her  belt  saying, 
softly : 

"We  both  thank  you,  Beatrice.  Now  let 
us  go  on  with  the  game.  Can't  you  be 
"Mother  Goose"  as  well  as  "The  Lady  who 
rode  to  Banbury  Cross"?  I  am  sure  you 
have  the  goose  at  hand." 

"Yes,  I'm  her  too.       And  I'm  Alice  in 


BEATRICE  143 

Wonderland.  See  what  I've  brought  in  my 
basket,"  and  once  more  full  of  the  spirit  of 
her  play,  she  slipped  from  her  mount,  the 
basket  still  upon  her  arm  and  began  to  untie 
the  strings  which  held  the  lid  down. 

"Now,  Hope,  let's  play  the  story.  See, 
I've  brought  the  White  Rabbit  and  the 
Cheshire  Cat.  You  hold  Bunnykin  if  you 
want  to,  and  plunging  her  hand  into  the  bas- 
ket she  brought  forth  by  its  ears,  a  beautiful 
white  rabbit  which  she  plumped  down  upon 
the  couch  beside  Hope.  Then,  making  a 
second  dive  into  her  storehouse,  she  lifted  out 
Tiger,  the  big  cat  which  for  three  years  had 
led  a  life  of  thrilling  experiences  with  his  ten- 
year-old  mistress. 

He  did  not  seem  in  the  least  the  worse  for 
his  jouncing  transit,  but  purred  away  with  the 
resigned  expression  of  one  who  submits  grace- 
fully to  the  inevitable. 

"Now,"  announced  Beatrice,  "I'll  put 
Tiger  in  that  big  apple-tree  and  he  '11  sit  there 
and  grin  at  us.  I  wish  I  knew  how  to  make 


144  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

him  and  the  grin  disappear,  as  they  do  in  the 
story.  How  do  you  suppose  that  was  really 
done?  "  It  was  just  as  well  she  did  not  pause 
to  have  her  question  answered,  but  rushed 
on  to  the  next  scene. 

"Now  I'll  be  Alice  playing  croquet  with 
the  flamingo.  Oh,  dear,  what  a  pity  we  can't 
have  a  hedgehog.  But  never  mind,  we've 
got  Granny  Quack.  She'll  be  the  flamingo, 
though  she  isn  't  pink.  If  I  'd  only  thought  in 
time  I  might  have  painted  her.  Frederick 
has  a  lot  of  red  and  white  paint  in  the  boat- 
house  and  I  could  have  mixed  pink  as  easily 
as  anything.  But  aren  't  there  white  flamin- 
gos, too,  Mrs.  Curtis?"  she  ended,  catching 
up  Granny  Quack  and  essaying  the  role  of 
Alice,  though  poor  Granny  kept  her  head 
cocked  and  alert  instead  of  down  toward 
the  ground  as  the  trained  flamingo  had  so 
accommodatingly  done. 

For  an  hour  the  games  went  on  in  all 
seriousness,  Mrs.  Curtis  doing  her  best  to 
keep  a  sober  face  lest  she  spoil  the  fun,  for 


BEATRICE  145 

Hope  was  delighted.      Then  Beatrice  asked: 

"Now  would  you  like  me  to  be  the  White 
Knight?  I  can,  just  as  well  as  not.  I've 
played  it  loads  of  times  on  Gassy." 

"How  do  you  play  that?'7  asked  Hope. 

"Why,  I  just  turn  my  bonnet  hind-side- 
before  so  it  looks  like  the  helmet  he  wore,  then 
I  take  a  long  pole, — I  guess  there'll  be  a 
clothes  prop  in  the  back  garden,  won't  there? 
And  then  I  get  on  Gassy  and  ride  just  as  hard 
as  I  can  at  a  tree  or  any  old  thing, — some- 
how I  never  can  find  anybody  who'll  play 
the  Black  Knight  and  ride  King  Coal  and  let 
me  poke  them  off  with  my  lance — and  then, 
of  course,  I  tumble  right  over  Gassy 's  head 
and  land  on  the  ground  just  like  the  White 
Knight  did.  See?  I'll  show  you  how. 
Never  mind  the  lance  now,  I  '11  use  it  the  next 
time,"  and  before  Mrs.  Curtis  could  put  in  a 
restraining  word,  she  had  scrambled  up  Gas- 
sy's  side  and  was  off  and  away  at  a  mad 
gallop. 

"Oh,  Mother,  she  will  surely  break  her 


146  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

neck!"  cried  Hope,  while  Mrs.  Curtis  could 
only  stand  in  breathless  suspense.  It  seemed 
an  hour  but  in  reality  it  was  barely  two  min- 
utes before  Cassandra's  mad  gallop  ended  in  a 
sudden  halt  and  Beatrice  slid, — slithered 
would  describe  it  better, — straight  over  the 
little  mule's  head  into  a  heap  upon  the  grass, 
only  to  bound  up  like  a  rubber  ball  and  run 
back  to  her  startled  audience,  Cassandra 
trotting  obediently  behind  her,  for  the  long- 
eared  beastie  had  performed  in  this  role  many 
times. 

"Didn't  I  do  that  fine?"  cried  the  tri- 
umphant one.  "It  never  hurt  me  a  bit,  and 
Cassy's  simply  bully  at  it.  Want  me  to  do 
it  all  over  again?  I  '11  run  and  get  the  clothes 
prop  this  time." 

"Not  today,  I  think.  ]t  is  now  time  for 
Hope  to  go  indoors  for  her  hour's  sleep,  so  we 
shall  have  to  wait  until  another  morning, 
dear, "  Mrs.  Curtis  answered  quickly,  for  she 
felt  that  Hope  had  experienced  about  as  many 
thrills  as  she  could  stand. 


BEATRICE  147 

"I'm  awful  sorry.  I  hope  I  haven't  made 
you  tired.  Have  I?"  asked  the  acrobat, 
reaching  for  the  rabbit  and  pouncing  him 
into  the  basket  and  then  looking  for  the  cat. 
"Where's  Tiger?" 

"I  think  he  must  have  gone  home,  I  saw 
him  trotting  over  the  lawn,"  replied  Hope. 

" That's  lucky.  Now  I  shan't  have  to 
carry  him  too.  Gee  willikins!  but  my  arm 
ached  when  I  got  here.  Come  on,  Granny; 
you've  got  to  be  taken  back. " 

How  she  could  scramble  upon  her  steed 
with  the  heavy  goose  clasped  in  one  arm  they 
could  not  understand,  but  she  did  it,  and 
Mrs.  Curtis  handed  her  the  basket. 

"Good-by.  I've  had  a  splendid  time. 
I'll  come  again  soon,  if  you'll  let  me,"  and 
away  she  trotted. 

"Mercy  me,  what  a  little  hurricane!" 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Curtis. 


CHAPTER  X 

WHEN   SEPTEMBER   CAME 

As  August  drew  to  its  close,  a  decided 
flutter  began  to  take  place  in  Ruheheute, 
for  a  great  event  was  pending.  The  son 
and  heir  of  the  house  would  soon  be  home 
on  a  month's  leave  from  the  United  States 
Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis.  Yes,  and  in 
all  the  glory  of  the  newly-fledged  first-class 
man! 

For  this,  Raymond's  last  year  at  the 
Academy,  a  house-party  had  been  planned, 
and  he  was  bringing  with  him  to  Sans  Souci 
three  of  his  chums,  whose  homes  were  too 
remote  from  Annapolis  to  admit  of  their 
taking  advantage  of  the  brief  leave.  Two 
were  in  Raymond's  own  class,  but  the  third 
was  a  third-classman,  or  " Youngster"  as 
they  are  called  down  at  the  old  Naval  School. 


WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME       149 

They  would  arrive  at  Sans  Souci  the  last  day 
of  August,  and  Raymond's  return  was  the 
greatest  event  of  the  year  in  that  household, 
for  the  midshipman  of  the  Naval  Academy 
knows  nothing  of  the  holidays,  enjoyed  by 
the  college  student,  who  can  go  and  come 
almost  at  will,  and  whose  long  summer  vaca- 
tion is  accepted  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Hope  had  not  seen  her  brother  since  the 
previous  September.  Consequently,  great 
preparations  were  being  made  for  the  ex- 
pected guest,  and  among  other  delightful 
things  to  arrive  was  a  beautiful  motor  car 
which  bore  Raymond's  monogram  upon  the 
door  of  the  tonneau. 

Hope  was,  of  course,  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy, 
for  though  she  saw  him  but  rarely  now-a-days, 
her  only  brother  was  her  hero,  and  no  one  on 
earth  was  quite  equal  to  him  in  her  sight. 

The  twenty-eighth  and  twenty-ninth 
dragged  by  for  Hope,  but  flew  for  the  other 
members  of  the  household,  who  were  hurry- 
ing to  have  everything  in  readiness  for  the 


150  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

thirtieth.  Raymond  would  disembark  from 
the  battleship  Massachusetts  at  Annapolis 
on  the  twenty-eighth,  and  with  his  friends 
take  the  limited  express  for  New  York,  the 
next  day,  thence  off  and  away  by  the  New 
York  Central's  fast  train  for  the  upper  end 
of  the  lake,  where  Mr.  Curtis  had  planned 
to  meet  them  with  the  new  car  and 
make  the  run  down  the  beautiful  western 
shore  of  the  lake  to  the  town  off  which  Sans 
Souci  lay  like  an  emerald. 

When  the  morning  of  the  thirtieth  dawned, 
Hope  was  in  a  flutter.  Which  would  Ray- 
mond like  best?  The  pretty  white  gown, 
the  blue  one,  or  the  pale  apple  green?  Should 
she  have  daisies  upon  her  table,  or  the  red 
roses  which  Raymond  loved?  Should  Miss 
Woodward  have  rose-colored  or  yellow  bows 
on  Scheherazade's  and  Bistri's  collars? 

The  car  could  not  possibly  reach  Ruheheute 
before  noon,  but  Hope  was  arranging  all  de- 
tails by  nine  o'clock,  and  Mrs.  Curtis  was 
secretly  rejoicing  over  the  contrast  between 


WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME       151 

the  home-coming  this  September  and  the 
previous  one,  when  Hope  had  been  too  weak 
and  languid  to  do  more  than  lie  upon  her 
couch  and  take  an  apathetic  interest  in  the 
preparations. 

No  friends  had  been  invited  to  accompany 
Raymond  upon  that  occasion  and  after  one 
week  spent  at  the  lovely  island  Raymond 
and  his  father  had  made  a  trip  through 
Champlain  and  the  Canadian  Provinces. 

But  now!  Here  was  a  radiant,  if  semi- 
helpless  little  girl  of  eleven,  her  eyes  shining 
with  eager  anticipation  and  her  face  softly 
flushed  with  eagerness. 

"How,  oh,  how  am  I  to  take  a  nap  when 
my  brain  just  won't  go  to  sleep,  Miss  For- 
rester?" cried  Hope,  when  that  gentle  guard- 
ian came  at  ten  o  'clock  to  say  that  sleepy  time 
had  arrived. 

"And  if  you  do  not  what  will  happen  at 
high  noon,  my  Little  Daisy  Maiden?  No 
sleepee — no  talkee,  as  Saito  would  say. " 

"I  dare  say  I  may  as  well  be  resigned,  for 


152  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

you  are  a  terrible  autocrat,"  laughed  Hope, 
as  she  was  wheeled  away  to  her  quiet  end  of 
the  bungalow,  for  this  home  had  been  de- 
signed for  the  comfort  and  well-being  of  its 
beloved  immate,  and  her  special  end  of  it  was 
as  quiet  and  peaceful  as  a  nunnery.  All 
sounds  could  be  shut  away  from  it. 

The  hour's  rest  upon  which  Miss  Forrester 
insisted  was  passed  in  a  gentle  refreshing 
sleep,  thanks  to  that  wise  woman's  adminis- 
tration of  a  sedative  for  restless  nerves  and 
when  it  came  time  for  the  little  lady  of  Ruhe- 
heute  to  reappear  upon  the  scene,  she  was 
ready  to  meet  the  demands  upon  her  strength. 

It  was  just  striking  high  noon  when  the 
honk-honk!  Honk-honk-honk!  agreed  upon 
as  a  signal,  sounded  at  the  far  end  of  the 
bridge.  Hope  almost  sat  erect  in  her  eager- 
ness, and  the  next  second  the  beautiful 
maroon-colored  car  sped  across  the  bridge 
and  up  the  driveway  amid  wild  shouts  and 
the  hilarious  waving  of  five  straw  hats,  for 


WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME       153 

Mr.  Curtis  was  as  brimful  of  holiday  spirit 
as  his  guests. 

"Hard  a-starboard!  One  bell,  Chauffeur !" 
cried  Raymond.  "Ahoy,  little  sister!  Gee, 
but  it's  great  to  be  home!  Excuse  me,  fel- 
lows, but  I  can 't  stand  upon  ceremony  with 
that  waiting  for  me,"  and  one  bound  took 
Raymond  over  the  side  of  the  car,  to  rush 
up  the  steps  and  drop  upon  one  knee  beside 
Hope's  couch.  He  gathered  her  into  his 
arms,  for  this  little  invalid  sister  was  very 
dear  to  the  big,  six-foot  brother,  who  had 
carried  off  one  athletic  honor  after  another, 
yet  could  be  so  gentle  with  her. 

"Oh,  Ray!  Ray!  It's  just  too  good  to  be- 
lieve. I  could  hardly  wait  for  you  to  get 
here  and  I've  a  thousand  things  to  tell  and 
ask  you,"  cried  Hope,  as  she  clasped  her 
arms  about  him  and  nestled  her  golden  head 
upon  his  shoulder. 

Meanwhile,  Mrs.  Curtis  was  welcoming 
her  son's  guests.  She  had  met  them  before, 
during  some  of  her  rare  visits  to  Annapolis, 


154  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

and  had  heard  so  much  of  them  through 
Raymond's  letters  that  they  did  not  seem 
strangers  to  her,  though  at  first  there  was 
more  or  less  restraint  upon  their  part. 
Your  midshipman  is  an  odd  mixture  of  man 
and  happy-go-lucky  boy,  whatever  his  age, 
and  he  thaws  out,  or  freezes  up  according 
to  the  atmosphere  in  which  he  finds  himself. 
These  lads,  with  the  exception  of  the  young- 
ster, were  very  near  Raymond's  age,  which 
was  a  little  over  twenty.  The  youngster, 
a  cousin  of  one  of  the  other  boys,  was  only 
seventeen,  a  merry  young  grig,  good-natured 
and  sunny  as  the  day  was  long,  and  half  the 
time  being  run  to  death  by  the  older  fellows, 
to  which  running  he  submitted  with  the  grace 
becoming  a  Youngster,  and  as  the  result  of  so 
doing  he  gained  much  in  the  long  run. 

"Now,  Goldilocks,  I  want  you  to  know 
the  fellows.  Mother  and  Father  know  them 
already,  but  you're  a  stranger,  excepting 
in  name,  and  that'll  never  do.  Come  here 
Tubby  and  Toots,  and  meet  this  little  sister 


WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME       155 

of  mine.  And  you,  too,  Kid.  Hope,  this 
is  Russell  Fulton,  otherwise  known  as  Tubby. 
He's  the  versatile  one  of  the  crowd  and  the 
bard  and  musician  as  well.  Toots  in 
everyday  life  is  called  Donald  Campbell. 
If  you  want  to  snare  a  bird  or  two,  don't  try 
to  throw  salt  upon  their  tails;  just  get  Toots 
to  whistle  them  off  the  bushes  for  you.  And 
this  spindle-shanked  infant  is  the  Kid.  You 
can  call  him  Kid  or  Dicky.  That  his  real 
name  is  Richard  Finch  doesn't  count  in  the 
least.  And,  by-the-way,  people,  real  names 
aren't  going  to  be  in  it  during  this  month's 
fling.  Cut 'em  out,  please.  All  agreeable?  " 
demanded  Raymond,  beaming  upon  old  and 
young. 

"Bet  your  life!  Will  you  call  us  by  our 
nicknames,  too,  Miss  Hope?"  asked  Toots. 

"If  I  may  be  Hope,  or  "Sis,"  as  Ray  calls 
me,  smiled  Hope,  looking  up  into  the  blue  eyes 
regarding  her  with  mingled  pity  and  admira- 
tion, for  Happy-go-lucky  Toots  was  wonder- 
fully sensitive  to  suffering  and  the  thought 


156  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

of  all  this  lovely  child  had  borne  was  now 
impressed  upon  him.  Hitherto  it  had  been 
only  as  Raymond  had  pictured  it;  now  the 
real  evidence  lay  before  him. 

"Little  'Sis/  take  us  under  your  wing 
quick.  We're  a  crazy  lot  of  rough-necks— 
oh,  yes,  we  are,"  as  Hope  wagged  her  head 
in  smiling  deprecation  of  this  assertion. 
"We  look  all  right  on  the  surface,  but  just 
you  wait  till  we  cut  loose,  Mrs.  Curtis  will 
turn  us  off  Sans  Souci.  Our  holidays  go  to 
our  heads  because  we  get  so  few  of  them, 
you  know." 

"I'll  take  my  chances,"  Mrs.  Curtis  called 
from  the  big  East  India  chair,  where  Ray- 
mond was  now  bending  over  her. 

"We  can  never  forget  our  allegiance  to  the 
queen  of  Sans  Souci,"  was  little  Dicky's 
gallant  speech,  as  he  bowed  over  Hope's  couch. 
"If  she  condescends  to  be  the  little  sister  also, 
that  is  our  gain  and  honor. " 

"Good  for  you,  Kid!  Didn't  know  you 
had  it  in  you.  You're  developing  in  great 


WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME       157 

shape.  Keep  on  the  job  and  you'll  be  a 
winner.  But  he 's  all  right,  even  if  he  is  my 
cousin  and  only  as  thick  through  as  a  match, 
little  Sister.  There!  Didn't  I  get  that  off 
well?  Smashed  the  ice  to  smithereens  the 
first  whack.  Now  we  're  all  sisters  and  cous- 
ins and  aunts — you  will  be  mine,  won't  you, 
Mrs.  Curtis?  Just  pro  tern,  anyhow," 
concluded  the  irrepressible  Tubby. 

"I  shall  be  highly  honored,  I'm  sure," 
and  true  to  his  suggestion,  Tubby  from  that 
moment  addressed  his  hostess  as  "  Aunty  C., " 
the  other  two  promptly  adopting  the  more 
intimate  appellation,  for  they  were  warm- 
hearted, affectionate  lads. 

Just  then  luncheon  was  announced. 

"Hi,  beat  it  to  your  rooms,  fellows,  and 
spruce  up.  We're  inches  deep  in  soot, 
Mumsey.  Why  didn't  you  shut  off  our  hot 
air  and  send  us  away  sooner?  But  we'll 
make  Bancroft  time.  Just  keep  that  soup, 
or  whatever  you've  got,  at  the  right  tem- 
perature for  ten  minutes,  Saito,  and  we'll  be 


158  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

in  shape  to  do  it  justice,"  cried  Raymond, 
hurrying  his  guests  off  to  a  wing  of  the  bunga- 
low, Mrs.  Curtis  calling  after  him: 

"Take  your  time.  We  must  get  Hope 
settled,"  for  upon  this  great  occasion  Hope 
was  to  take  luncheon  with  the  others,  Saito 
having  suggested  it  and  devised  a  way  to  slip 
one  end  of  her  couch  beneath  the  table,  while 
the  pillows  held  her  almost  erect.  Save  for 
the  pillows,  no  one  would  have  suspected 
her  helplessness. 

That  was  the  merriest  meal  Hope  had  ever 
known,  but  it  was  only  the  first  of  many 
which  followed,  for  each  day  held  its  special 
delights,  and  the  month  sped  away  upon  the 
wings  of  the  wind. 

With  each  day  Hope  seemed  to  grow 
stronger,  and  toward  the  end  of  the  month, 
was  able  to  take  short  trips  in  Raymond's 
car,  Mrs.  Curtis  growing  gay  as  a  young 
girl  as  each  succeeding  day  proved  to  her  that 
the  little  daughter,  to  whom  she  had  devoted 
more  than  six  years  of  untiring,  unceasing 


WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME       159 

care  was  really  making  marked  strides  toward 
recovery.  Even  Miss  Forrester,  who  dreaded 
to  encourage  false  hopes,  began  to  prophesy 
wonderful  things  within  another  year  if  all 
progressed  as  at  present. 

Then  one  day  came  a  telegram.  The 
surgeon  who  had  attended  Hope  since  that 
dreadful  day  more  than  six  years  before,  was 
on  his  way  to  Montreal  in  company  with  a 
famous  French  surgeon  who  was  visiting  the 

States  and  Provinces.  Dr. — — — •  had 

told  him  of  Hope's  baffling  case  and  he  was 
so  deeply  interested  that  he  had  asked  per- 
mission to  stop  at  Mr.  Curtis'  camp  en  route 
to  Canada  and  see  Dr. — 's  patient. 

Of  course,  consent  was  eagerly  granted, 
and  the  distinguished  guests  arrived  within 
a  few  days.  Raymond  took  the  boys  on  a 
long  auto  trip  that  morning  and  the  two 
famous  doctors  had  the  house  to  themselves- 

When  the  examination  was  over,  the  phy- 
sicians were  closeted  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis  for  some  time  and  the  French  sur 


160  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

geon's  words  carried  both  hope  and  dismay 
to  his  hearer's  hearts.  He  told  them  that 
while  Hope  might  under  the  present  treatment 
in  the  course  of  time  recover  the  power  to 
walk,  he  believed  that  it  could  never  be  a 
complete  recovery  without  some  crisis.  In 
short,  some  severe  shock,  either  nervous  or 
physical,  would  be  the  only  cure  for  the 
strangely  apathetic  state  into  which  she  had 
fallen.  Not  mentally.  The  brain  was  too 
active.  That  was  half  the  trouble;  it  robbed 
the  body.  But  from  his  experience,  he  would 
call  it  an  arrested  development,  as  though 
Nature  had  turned  sulky  and  refused  to  meet 
the  surgeon's  efforts  half  way.  Perhaps  such 
an  operation  as  he  had  more  than  once  per- 
formed upon  some  of  his  patients  might  prove 
successful  in  her  case,  but  he  doubted  it. 
At  all  events,  he  would  not  advise  it  at  pres- 
ent. If  they  cared  to  consult  him  at  the  end 
of  six  months,  very  well.  He  would  be  in 
Paris  then  and  a  sea  voyage  might  prove 
very  beneficial  to  the  little  girl. 


WHEN  SEPTEMBER  CAME       161 

And  there  it  ended.  Hope  might,  in  the 
slow  course  of  years  walk  as  other  young 
girls  did,  or  she  might  never  be  any  better 
than  now. 

And  her  chance  of  being  better  could  only 
be  hoped  for  through  greater  suffering. 

However  regarded,  it  was  not  very  en- 
couraging. Still,  Hope  was  now  stronger 
than  she  had  ever  been,  and  that  alone  was 
subject  for  thankfulness. 

Then  the  great  doctors  went  upon  their 
way,  and  things  settled  back  into  their  old 
order,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  resolving  not 
to  let  a  shadow  fall  upon  this  holiday  if  they 
could  possibly  help  it.  That  a  higher  power 
than  theirs  was  ordering  all  for  the  best  they 
were  sure,  and  putting  their  trust  in  the  Great 
Healer,  sure  that  in  His  own  good  time  He 
would  restore  to  perfect  health  the  one  they 
loved  so  dearly,  they  dismissed  present 
anxieties  and  devoted  their  time  to  the  pleas- 
ure of  their  guests. 

And  thus  the  month  drew  to  its  close,  and 


162  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

the  rare  holidays,  always  so  anticipated  and 
so  long  talked  about  after  Raymond  had  re- 
turned to  Annapolis,  drew  to  an  end. 

During  the  last  week  a  special  treat  was 
planned  for  Hope.  She  was  not  told  of  it, 
lest  excitement  unfit  her  for  it,  but  the  prepa- 
rations moved  forward  apace. 


CHAPTER  XI 

BEATRICE    OPENS   VAUDEVILLE 

The  entertainment  which  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis  had  planned  for  their  guests  was  a 
trip  to  a  beautiful  spot  near  the  foot  of  the 
lake  where  Nature  had  given  way  to  a  fan- 
tastic mood,  for  caves,  grottoes  and  strange 
rock  formations  made  the  spot  a  fitting  haunt 
for  elves  and  fays.  Once,  years  before,  when 
Raymond  was  a  little  lad,  Mrs.  Curtis  had 
visited  the  spot  with  him  for  a  grand  holiday 
picnic,  and  the  boy  had  told  Hope  many  a 
thrilling  tale  of  its  wonders.  She  had  never 
been  strong  enough  to  go  there,  but  had  dwelt 
upon  the  pleasure  which  surely  lay  in  store 
for  her  some  day.  Now  everything  seemed 
to  promise  well  for  the  trip.  She  had  made 
a  number  of  little  journeys  with  Raymond 
and  the  boys  in  his  car  without  feeling  any 


164  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

fatigue;  she  had  joined  in  some  of  their 
quieter  forms  of  amusement,  and  sat  up  later 
than  ever  before,  all,  apparently,  without  ill 
effect. 

Consequently,  the  trip  to  the  caves  seemed 
a  perfectly  sane  undertaking,  and  prepara- 
tions for  the  twenty-eighth  went  forward, 
for  Raymond's  holidays  would  end  on  the  fol- 
lowing day,  as  all  midshipmen  must  report 
at  Annapolis  on  the  last  day  of  September. 

But,  alas!  "the  best  laid  plans  o'  mice  and 
men  gang  aft  agley, "  and  not  infrequently 
it  is  a  very  trivial  thing  indeed  which  com- 
pletely overthrows  them. 

The  day  before  the  great  outing,  in  which 
some  young  girls  from  the  hotel  on  the  main- 
land were  to  join  the  Curtis  party,  Beatrice 
Packard  elected  to  pay  Hope  a  visit.  At 
least,  the  visit  was  ostensibly  paid  to  Hope; 
in  reality  it  was  paid  to  Raymond,  lor 
whom  Miss  Beatrice,  who  was  somewhat  of 
a  worldly  young  miss  in  spite  of  her  hoy- 
denism,  was  deeply  interested.  Beatrice's 


BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE  165 

upbringing  was  about  as  unlike  Hope's  as  it 
well  could  be.  The  greater  part  of  her  time 
was  spent  at  the  big  hotel  where  she  was 
thrown  with  children  of  all  ages  and  all  types, 
and  long  before  she  was  five  she  had  selected 
her  sweetheart,  had  her  lover's  quarrels, 
jealousies  and  what  not?  At  nine,  she  was 
quite  a  sophisticated  small  woman  and  laying 
plans,  scheming  schemes,  and  devising  ways 
and  means  to  compass  her  ends,  which  it 
would  have  puzzled  Hope's  innocent,  pure  lit- 
tle heart  to  comprehend.  It  would  also  have 
caused  Raymond  no  little  amazement  to  have 
read  the  small  maid's  mind.  To  him  she  was 
"the  crazy  kid,"  and  always  had  been.  He 
rather  dreaded  her  approach  near  Hope. 
She  was  far  too  uncertain  a  quantity. 

But  latterly  Miss  Beatrice  had  been  in- 
bibing  some  very  grown-up  ideas  from  her 
friends  at  the  hotel,  and  had  fully  made  up 
her  mind  that  Raymond  was  to  be  her  "  sweet- 
heart." If  big,  jolly,  level-headed  Raymond 
had  suspected  the  child's  sentimental  fancies 


166  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

he  would  probably  have  shaken  her  soundly 
and  sent  her  home. 

But  he  did  not,  so  that  contradictory  small 
being  went  her  "am  gait"  and  Raymond 
made  but  one  stipulation  after  the  first  visit 
which  she  had  paid  to  Ruheheute  soon  after 
his  arrival. 

"Let's  have  her  in  small  doses,  Mumsey. 
She's  got  enough  energy  for  ten  kids  of  her 
size,  but  I  don 't  want  it  poured  all  over  me, 
and  I  should  think  she'd  drive  Hope  crazy." 

"She  livens  her  up  considerably  at  times," 
laughed  Mrs.  Curtis. 

"Livens  her  up!"  echoed  Raymond,  "I 
should  think  Hope  would  feel  as  though  she 
had  a  stick  of  dynamite  beside  her,  and  live 
in  mortal  terror  of  the  first  whack.  Gee 
whiz,  she  keeps  even  me  guessing,  and  I  don't 
think  I'm  troubled  with  nerves." 

So  it  was  not  surprising  that  Raymond 
regarded  with  some  misgivings  the  invitation 
extended  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Packard  and 
Beatrice  to  accompany  them  on  their  outing 


BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE  167 

to  The  Goblin's  Cave.  But  if  his  mis- 
givings were  aroused  by  that  fact,  they  were 
doubled  the  day  Beatrice  elected  to  pay  the 
visit  above  mentioned. 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
Raymond's  friends  were  lying  about  in  the 
happy-go-lucky  attitudes  of  your  true  mid- 
shipman, who  is  absolutely  indifferent  as  to 
what  forms  his  resting  place.  Toots  was 
stretched  at  full  length  upon  the  soft  lawn, 
utterly  regardless  of  grass  stains  upon  white 
flannels.  Tubby  was  luxuriating  in  a  big 
East  India  chair,  picking  away  upon  a  mando- 
lin. The  "Kid"  was  beside  Hope,  showing 
her  his  photographs  of  the  Academy,  of 
which  he  had  a  fine  collection. 

Raymond  had  gone  out  to  the  garage  to 
see  that  his  car  was  in  perfect  order  for  the 
morrow,  for  both  the  Curtis  cars  as  well  as 
one  hired  for  the  day  were  to  be  sent  down 
the  lake  early  in  the  morning,  there  to  await 
the  arrival  of  the  picnic  party  which  would 
go  down  on  the  Idlewild,  the  cars  being  sent 


J68  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

to  convey  them  from  the  landing  up  the 
mountain  to  the  cave. 

Now,  as  has  before  been  stated,  Beatrice 
never  visited  Ruheheute  without  special  invi- 
tation or  special  permission,  but  there  must 
always  be  exceptions  to  prove  a  rule,  it 
seems.  In  the  present  instance  the  excep- 
tion came  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Packard  were 
suddenly  called  from  Sans  Souci  by  the  illness 
of  Mrs.  Packard's  mother.  Before  leaving, 
Mrs.  Packard  wrote  a  hasty  note  to  Mrs. 
Curtis,  bidding  her  butler  see  to  its  prompt 
delivery.  But  the  Packard's  African  butler 
was  less  reliable  than  Saito.  He  did  exactly 
what  the  majority  of  his  race  do — he  forgot. 

Beatrice,  who  heard  the  order  given  knew 
that  the  letter  contained  the  request  that  she 
be  allowed  to  accompany  the  party,  and  was 
on  the  alert  for  Mrs.  Curtis'  reply.  Mean- 
while, to  pass  the  time  more  quickly,  she  de- 
cided to  have  a  good  time  at  home  during 
her  mother's  absence,  and  to  this  end,  she 
invited  five  of  the  Colts  to  visit  her. 


BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE  169 

Beatrice  was  very  democratic  in  her  choice 
of  friends.  They  ranged  from  the  small 
daughter  of  the  governor  of  the  State,  to 
Seraphiny  Elise  Brown,  the  youngest  off- 
spring of  Woodrow  Wilson  Brown,  the  but- 
ler, and  Cora  Amelia  Brown,  his  wife,  the 
laundress  of  the  Packard  establishment. 

Once,  when  Beatrice  was  about  seven 
years  of  age  and  some  of  her  more  aristo- 
cratic friends  had  presumed  to  criticise  her 
plebian  taste,  they  had  drawn  about  their 
over-solicitous  heads  a  perfect  hornet's  nest 
of  the  small  defender's  wrath.  When 
twitted  that  her  friends  were  " Common" 
she  retorted: 

"It's  no  such  thing!  It's  only  because 
their  fathers  haven't  enough  money  to  buy 
them  as  pretty  clothes  as  yours  buy  for  you! 
Anyway,  they  can  think  quicker 'n  some  of 
you  stupid  heads  can,  and  can  play  hard  and 
take  all  sort  of  bangs.  You  are  all  afraid 
you'll  get  your  precious  noses  bumped." 


170  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

This  retort  had  led  to  rather  strained 
relations  for  a  time. 

So  the  Colts  were  invited  and  came  in 
force,  and  they  and  Seraphiny  Brown  cer- 
tainly enjoyed  full  swing.  The  first  game 
was  "Circus,"  Beatrice's  idea  of  one  being 
upon  the  scale  of  the  New  York  Hippodrome, 
whereas  her  guests'  conception  of  such  a  show 
was  limited  to  those  seen  upon  very  rare 
occasions  at  Ticonderoga.  The  balance  of 
the  two  produced  very  fair  results,  however, 
with  Cassandra,  King  Coal,  several  dogs, 
Tiger,  the  white  rabbit,  Granny  Quack,  and 
heaven-knows-what-not  in  the  way  of  luck- 
less live  stock,  to  figure  in  various  roles.  But 
in  time  " Circus"  palled  and  Vaudeville  suc- 
ceeded. Now  the  Colts  had  about  as  much 
idea  of  what  a  Vaudeville  show  was  as  a  hen 
has  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  but  they  were 
game,^and  Beatrice  undertook  to  enlighten 
them,  and  in  the  course  of  enlightment  de- 
cided that  a  monkey  was  needed  in  the  show. 
Unhappily  none  of  the  Colts  were  by  nature 


BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE  171 

fitted  to  act  the  part,  being  either  tow-headed 
or  red-headed.  But!  Seraphiny  was  a 
close  mark  already!  Little,  black,  stupid, 
wooley-headed  Seraphiny.  The  only  short- 
coming lay  in  the  fact,  that,  odd  freak  of 
nature,  Seraphiny's  kinky  wool  had  actually 
grown  enough  to  be  coaxed  into  the  semblance 
of  braids  about  three  inches  long,  said  braids 
being  the  joy  and  pride  of  Cora  Amelia's 
soul.  She  spent  hours  in  persuading  them 
to  be  braids,  and  then  tying  them  past  all 
possibility  of  escape  from  remaining  braids 
until  the  weekly  hair-dressing  again  took 
place. 

But  it  was  ordained  that  Seraphiny  should 
be  transformed  into  an  exponent  of  Darwin's 
theory,  which  was  compassed  by  many  bribes 
in  the  form  of  "eats,"  one  of  Beatrice's  best 
frocks,  and  endless  gew-gaws.  When  Sera- 
phiny emerged  from  Beatrice's  transforming 
hands,  her  Simian  ancestors  (?)  could  never  for 
a  second  have  denied  the  relationship.  Of 
course,  a  monkey  could  not  have  braids, — 


172  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

not  even  three-inch-long-ones, — and  look  the 
part.  This  little  monkey  left  nothing  to  be 
desired  and,  being  by  nature  endowed  with 
innumerable  monkey  characteristics,  she  in- 
stantly became  the  star  performer.  Then 
followed  refreshments. 

As  the  coast  was  absolutely  clear,  the  Colts 
were  treated  to  everything  the  pantry  had  to 
offer,  the  feast  being  finished  off  with  liberal 
potations  of  grape  juice.  Indeed,  every 
available  bottle  was  emptied — either  into  the 
Colts,  or  upon  them,  and  the  pantry  floor 
impartially,  and  all  were  literally  filled  to 
overflowing. 

It  was  during  her  forage  for  the  feast  that 
Beatrice  came  upon  the  forgotten  note. 
"Now  I've  simply  got  to  take  this  letter 
straight  over  to  Mrs.  Curtis!  Mamma 
would  be  wild  if  she  knew  Brown  hadn't 
delivered  it  and  he's  gone  over  to  the  main- 
land. Come  on,  you  can  all  go  with  me. 
You  look  just  lovely  in  your  Vaudeville  cos- 
tumes, and  Hope  and — and — oh,  all  the 


BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE  173 

others  will  be  tickled  to  death  to  see  you." 

"But  we  dassent  go  'thout  askin'  ma," 
demurred  Sapphire. 

"  Nonsense.  Of  course  you  'dare'  if  I  say 
so.  I'm  Miss  Hope's  best  friend. " 

"  Yer  better  'phone  up  ter  the  Beehive  and 
ask  first,"  advised  Tarus,  with  a  sudden 
accession  of  precaution. 

"Naw;  Don'tcher!  Ma'd  say  'No/  yer 
boob,  don'tcher  know  that  much?"  objected 
Leo.  "  Let 's  go  right  away . " 

Now  well  enough  each  Colt  knew  that 
Ruheheute  was  proscribed  territory,  but  if 
Miss  Beatrice  said  "go,"  did  not  that  alter 
the  situation?  At  all  events,  duty  and  incli- 
nation for  once  went  hand  in  hand.  Then, 
too,  Beatrice  had  fully  resolved  to  reach 
Ruheheute  either  by  hook  or  by  crook  during 
her  parents'  absence,  and  the  note  was  a  most 
legitimate  excuse. 

"Come  on  all  of  you,  and  do  just  exactly 
as  I  tell  you, "  ordered  their  hostess,  and  the 
party  set  off,  following  the  broad  seawall. 


174  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

But  unluckily,  upon  the  way  a  violent  argu- 
ment arose  between  Tarus  and  Topaz  re- 
garding the  ability  of  a  girl  to  swim  if  she  fell 
overboard  with  her  clothes  on.  The  argu- 
ment waxed  hot.  Topaz  insisted  that  of 
course  she  could,  Tarus  that  she  could  not. 

They  had  reached  the  dividing  hedge  be- 
tween Ruheheute  and  Beunavista  when  Bea- 
trice constituted  herself  referee,  practical 
demonstrator  and  proof  of  her  sex's  claim 
to  "swim  as  good  as  any  boy,"  by  promptly 
diving  head-first  from  the  sea-wall  into  the 
lake,  swimming  like  a  mermaid  for  a  hundred 
yards  and  landing  on  the  Curtis'  side  of  the 
hedge  amidst  the  derisive  or  triumphant 
shouts  of  her  followers.  She  emerged  exactly 
at  the  foot  of  the  lawn  upon  which  Hope  and 
her  friends  were  enjoying  themselves,  the 
Colts  and  Seraphiny  scrambling  through 
the  hedge  and  bursting  upon  their  audience's 
sight  simultaneously. 

"Merciful  powers!"  cried  Hope.  "Where 
have  they  come  from?" 


BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE  175 

"Holy  smoke  and  oakum!"  exclaimed 
Toots,  bounding  to  his  feet. 

"What  in  the  name  of  the  uncanny  have 
we  here?"  were  Tubby's  words. 

"I  say,  Hope,  where  do  you  keep  these 
curiosities  ordinarily?"  asked  Dicky,  as  Ray- 
mond's voice  behind  him  shouted: 

"What  the  duece  do  you  kids  mean  by 
.piling  over  here  in  this  way?" 

But  Beatrice,  though  dripping  like  a  water 
spaniel,  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  Snatch- 
her  mother's  note  from  Sapphire,  into  whose 
hand  she  had  thrust  it  as  she  made  her  dive 

r 

she  cried: 

"It's  me — Beatrice  Packard — and  I  had 
to  come  to  bring  this  to  your  mother,  Ray- 
mond. Please  give  it  to  her  right  off  and  tell 
me  what  she  says.  I  brought  my  friends 
along  because  they  were  visiting  me,  and  I 
thought  Hope  would  be  delighted  to  see  our 
costumes,  and  because — because — well  be- 
cause I  had  to,"  ended  the  young  lady, 
dripping  puddles  upon  the  turf. 


176  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"But  you'll  catch  your  death,  you  crazy 
little  kid.  You  ought  to  be  wrung  out," 
protested  Raymond. 

"Piffle!  That's  what  you'd  say.  Do 
you  think  I'm  such  a  poor  sport  as  that? 
What 's  a  swim  on  a  hot  day  like  this.  Here, 
take  this  letter,  please,  then  introduce  your 
friends  to  me.  They  look  mighty  nice. 
Then  we'll  give  you  "Moving  Day  in  Jungle- 
town.  "  Seraphiny  's  the  monkey  and  we  're  all 
something  else.  Now  don 't  you  children  get 
cold  feet  and  make  a  sneak.  Do  you  hear 
me?  "  she  ended,  casting  a  warning  glance  over 
her  shoulder  at  the  petrified  Colts  who  felt 
from  Raymond's  tone  that  their  sins  had 
found  them  out,  and  who  were  sorely  tempted 
to  "make  a  sneak." 

Meanwhile  Toots  had  rolled  over  on  the 
grass  fairly  howling  with  laughter,  while 
Tubby  tuning  up  his  mandolin  and  striking 
up  "Moving  Day  in  Jungletown,"  cried: 

"Open  the  show!    Orchestra's  all  ready." 

"Who  on  earth  is  the  kid?  "  asked  Dicky  of 


BEATRICE  OPENS  VAUDEVILLE  177 

Hope,  but  before  she  could  answer  Beatrice 
had  marshalled  her  performers  and  was  is- 
suing orders  like  a  veteran  stage-manager  and 
the  next  moment  the  act  was  on,  the  per- 
formers having  in  a  measure  recovered  from 
their  terror  and  become  imbued  with  their 
leader's  spirit.  It  was  a  most  original  dance, 
the  sunshine  and  rapid  motion  serving  some- 
what to  dry  out  the  leader.  In  the  midst  of 
it  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  came  upon  the  scene 
and  Raymond  handed  the  latter  the  note. 
She  read  it  and  gasped  under  her  breath: 

"How  can  I  refuse  under  the  circumstances, 
but,  oh,  for  a  cordon  of  police  to  keep  that 
child  within  bounds  and  get  her  home  from 
the  cave  without  something  happening  to 
her!" 


CHAPTEK  XII 
THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE 

The  following  morning  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis,  with  Hope,  Miss  Forrester,  Tubby, 
Toots  and  Dicky,  and  the  four  young  girls 
from  the  Hotel,  to  say  nothing  of  Beatrice, 
embarked  upon  the  Idlewild  at  ten  o'clock. 
Raymond  with  Saito  and  another  servant  were 
to  make  the  run  down  the  lake  in  Raymond's 
car,  carrying  the  luncheon,  which  was  in 
Saito's  able  charge,  the  two  chauffeurs  to  take 
Mr.  Curtis'  car  and  the  extra  one  hired  from 
the  hotel  for  the  occasion.  It  was  a  merry 
party,  though  it  must  be  admitted  that  Mrs. 
Curtis  would  have  been  more  at  ease  in  her 
mind  had  the  youngest  member  of  those  com- 
prising it,  been  safe  at  Buenavista  instead  of 
on  board  the  yacht. 

Not  until  they  had  gotten  under  way  did  it 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  179 

occur  to  Mrs.  Curtis  that  their  party  num- 
bered thirteen.  Then  she  called  her  hus- 
band's attention  to  the  fact. 

He  promptly  laughed  at  her.  "You  are 
surely  not  foolishly  superstitious  about  that, 
are  you  dear?" 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,  Raymond.  Perhaps 
Hope's  long  invalidism  had  made  me  super- 
sensitive  to  trifles,  but — well — it  is  an  old 
superstition,  you'll  admit,  and  everything  has 
been  progressing  so  well  of  late.  I  don't 
want  to  tempt  Providence/'  smiled.  Mrs. 
Curtis,  her  eyes  so  full  of  love  for  the  little 
figure  reclining  upon  a  well-cushioned  steamer 
chair,  for  Hope  had  actually  attained  to  that. 

"Then  I  won't  sit  down  to  the  feast  with  the 
others,"  laughed  Mr.  Curtis. 

"Indeed  you  will!"  protested  his  wife. 
"Don't  think  me  quite  so  foolish  as  that," 
and  nothing  further  was  said. 

The  beautiful  little  steam  yacht  cut  through 
the  crystal  blue  lake,  the  waves  sparkling  in 
the  sunlight,  the  soft  wind  playing  gaily  with 


180  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

the  waving  colors  at  the  stern,  all  on  board  in 
merry  mood  and  holiday  spirits. 

It  was  a  restless  stirring  party,  however, 
the  young  people  exploring  every  corner  of 
the  craft,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  and  Miss 
Forrester  enjoying  for  the  hundredth  time  the 
beautiful  scenery,  though  it  must  be  confessed 
that  Mrs.  Curtis  found  ample  occupation  in 
keeping  Beatrice  in  sight. 

Hope  was  pointing  out  the  different  resorts 
and  naming  the  towering  mountains,  "The 
Sleeping  Beauty,"  Mt.  Erebus,  and  others 
to  Dicky,  who  sat  beside  her.  It  was  his  first 
visit  to  the  lake,  in  fact  none  of  Raymond's 
guests  had  ever  visited  it  before,  Tubby's 
home  being  in  Idaho,  and  Toot's  and  Dicky's 
in  California. 

"I  say,  but  it's  great!"  was  Dicky's  en- 
thusiastic praise.  "Not  so — so — tremendous 
and  sort  of — of  overwhelming  as  our  Cali- 
fornia scenery,  but  more  like — like,  oh,  hang 
it!  I'm  no  good  at  describing  things.  Only 
I  know  how  it  makes  me  feel  inside." 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  181 

"I  know  what  you  mean.  I  never  come 
down  the  lake  without  feeling  as  though  I'd 
gotten  away  from  a  world  where  anything 
dreadful  could  happen,  or  there  could  be  any 
sadness,  and  had  gone  off,  far  away  into  a 
new  world  where  everybody  is  happy  and  well 
and  strong  and — and — "  Hope  paused  and 
colored.  She  had  for  a  moment  forgotten 
that  she  was  talking  to  a  lad,  who  was  almost 
a  stranger  and  only  a  few  years  her  senior. 
She  often  talked  in  this  strain  to  her  mother. 

"Go  on,  please,"  he  said  softly.  His  face  was 
serious.  Something  in  the  beauty  and  help- 
lessness of  the  child  before  him  stirred  all  that 
was  finest  in  his  character,  and  it  was  a  pretty 
fine  one. 

'You'll  think  me  very  queer  and  maybe 
sort  of — of  too  goody-goody  if  I  tell  you  and  I 
don't  think  boys  care  to  hear  such  things," 
hesitated  Hope. 

"Will  you  just  please  experiment  on  me? 
No  one  else  is  near  to  hear  and  I'm  safe,  all 
right." 


182  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Hope  turned  her  expressive  eyes  toward  his. 

"Perhaps  it  is  because  I've  been  ill  so  long, 
and  have  to  be  alone  so  often  that  my  thoughts 
are  different  from  other  girls.  Or  maybe  it 
is  because  I  am  an  Easter  child, — I  was  born 
on  Easter  Day,  you  know  —  that  I  have 
strange  fancies.  I  had  such  a  wonderful 
dream  last  Easter  morning;  so  wonderful  that 
I  have  always  believed  it  to  be  more  than  just 
a  dream.  It  was  so  very  real  that  it  seemed 
like  a  promise—  '  she  paused  and  looked  off 
toward  the  towering  heights  of  Black  Moun- 
tain on  the  starboard  bow. 

"A  promise  of  what?  Who  made  it?" 
asked  the  practical  boy  beside  her,  though 
odd  little  creeps  began  running  up  and  down 
his  back. 

"Saito  said  it  was  the  great  Lord  Shaka's 
promise.  His  Lord  Shaka  is  almost  like  our 
Christ.  It  was  the  day  of  His  new  life  you 
know.  Do  you  think  it  could  have  been  a 
promise?  "  The  big  hazel  eyes  held  Dicky's. 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  183 

"What  was  the  promise?"  Dicky  asked 
almost  under  his  breath. 

"I  have  never  told  it  to  anyone;  not  all  of 
it,  I  mean,  not  even  to  Mother." 
,  "Won't  you  please  tell  it  to  me?"  he  asked 
in  a  tone  which  he  hardly  recognized  as  his 
own. 

"Perhaps  you  would  laugh  at  me  and  think 
me  just  a  silly  girl." 

"Little  Sis!" 

"Excuse  me.  But  you  see  you  don't  know 
me  very  well.  I'm  not  much  like  other  girls 
whom  you  know,  am  I?" 

' ' You're — you're  clean  out  of  sight.  You've 
got  the  whole  outfit  beat  to  a  standstill!  I 
mean — "  stammered  the  boy  in  confusion  at 
having  dropped  into  the  most  natural  form  of 
expression  in  his  enthusiasm,  "  I  mean  you're — • 
a  wonder.  Please  go  on." 

Hope  told  her  dream,  then  added:  "I  told 
that  much  to  Mother  but  I  didn't  tell  her  that 
I  dreamed  that  the  Cardinal  bird  had  promised 


184  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

to  come  again — in  another  form — and  that 
when  he  did  come — I  should  walk." 

"  Do  you  know  in  what  form  he  is  coming?  " 
The  question,  softly  spoken,  was  a  strange  one 
from  the  practical  boy. 

"The  bird  seemed — seemed  to  promise 
that — that — the  Christ  Child  would  come  next 
time,  and  when  I  am  up  here  in  this  wonder- 
ful world  with  all  these  great  mountains  reach- 
ing up  to  the  sky,  I  seem  so  much  closer  to 
God  and  the  Christ  Child,  and  feel  so  much 
surer  that  the  promise  will  come  true  in  just  a 
little  while." 

She  paused  as  the  yacht  ran  by  Deer's  Leap 
on  the  port  beam  and  came  under  Sugar  Loaf 
Mountain  on  the  starboard  bow.  The  other 
members  of  the  party  were  well  forward  ex- 
claiming over  the  wonderful  panorama. 

"You  won't  tell?"  queried  Hope. 

The  boy  held  out  his  long,  slender,  muscular 
hand.  The  tiny  one  was  placed  in  it. 

"I  shan't  tell  and  I  shan't  forget  either. 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  185 

And — and  may  the  good  Lord  send  the  Christ 
Child." 

Hope  hardly  caught  the  words.  Just  then 
Miss  Forrester  came  up  the  gangway  with 
Hope's  beaten  egg  and  milk  and  Dicky  sprang 
to  take  it  from  her.  The  next  second  the 
laughing,  happy-go-lucky  midshipman  was 
running  Hope  on  being  a  comfirmed  young 
tippler  who  had  to  have  her  toddy  at  six  bells 
of  the  forenoon  Watch.  But  under  the  outer 
fun  and  nonsense  was  an  indellible  impression 
of  that  half -hour's  talk,  and  before  the  day 
ended  Richard  Finch  had  reason  to  feel  the 
deep  significance  of  that  little  confidence. 

It  was  high  noon  when  the  Idlewild  sheered 
away  from  the  heights  of  Anthony's  ten- 
hundred-foot  nose  and  ran  alongside  a  small 
private  dock  at  the  foot  of  Roger's  Slide  on 
the  opposite  shore.  The  landing  was  soon 
made,  the  motor  cars  being  at  hand  to  take 
the  party  to  the  cave  a  half  mile  above  the 
dock.  The  run  was  made  without  a  flaw  in 
the  carefully  laid  program,  and  upon  their 


186  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

arrival  at  the  Cave  they  found  a  wonderful 
luncheon  all  ready  to  be  served  by  Saito  and 
his  assistant. 

What  a  merry,  happy  hour  ensued!  Hope, 
joyous  and  radiant,  enjoying  it  as  only  a  child 
for  years  deprived  of  the  pleasures  common  to 
other  children  of  her  age  and  station,  could 
enjoy.  It  was  like  the  first  glimpse  of  the 
world  of  sunshine  to  one  who  has  been  blind 
for  years;  the  first  thrilling  notes  of  a  skylark 
to  one  who  has  been  deaf. 

When  the  feast  was  ended  the  young  people 
were  eager  to  explore  the  grotto,  Hope  having 
been  settled  in  a  quiet  little  woodland  nook 
for  the  hour's  rest  upon  which  Miss  Forrester 
insisted,  and  where,  resting  comfortably  upon 
her  pneumatic  mattress,  she  soon  fell  asleep 
in  spite  of  her  protests  that  she  knew  her  "  eyes 
simply  couldn't  close."  But  Nature  asserted 
her  rights  and  while  vigorous  young  bodies 
were  darting  thither  and  yonder  through  the 
mysterious  depths  and  weird  lights  of  the 
Goblin's  Cave,  or  running  like  school-children 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  187 

through  the  cathedral-like  aisles  of  the  woods, 
Hope  was  gaining  her  rejuvenation  from  the 
balsamic  air  as  she  slept. 

Five  o'clock,  the  hour  set  for  the  return  to 
Sans  Souci,  came  all  too  swiftly.  There  was 
only  one  person  in  the  party  who  secretly 
breathed  a  sigh  of  relief  as  that  hour  drew 
near  and  that  was  Mrs.  Curtis.  The  day  had 
been  a  strenuous  one  for  her,  little  as  the 
others  suspected  that  fact.  Beatrice  had  seen 
to  that.  It  had  begun  when  Raymond  saved 
her  from  a  header  over  the  Idlewild's  bow  as 
they  sped  out  into  the  broad  reaches  of  Hague 
Bay,  and  the  young  miss  had  elected  to  see 
the  hawse  pipes.  Then  had  come  a  lively 
scene  at  the  landing  when  she  had  made  up  her 
small  mind  to  ride  to  the  cave  in  Raymond's 
car  instead  of  in  the  one  conveying  Mrs.  Curtis 
and  Hope,  and  Mrs.  Curtis  had  to  insist  upon 
being  obeyed.  At  luncheon  the  young  lady 
had  scorned  the  more  substantial  dishes,  con- 
tending that  a  picnic  wasn't  a  picnic  if  you  had 
to  eat  the  same  old  things  you  ate  at  your  own 


188  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

luncheon  table.  A  picnic  meant  cake  and 
sweets,  and  ices  and  lemonade  and  good 
things." 

But  as  Mrs.  Curtis  did  not  wish  to  finish  the 
day  with  a  dose  of  nux  vomica,  she  carried  that 
point  also. 

When  it  came  to  exploring  the  cave  she 
sent  Saito  to  keep  the  lively  one  within  bounds, 
telling  Beatrice  she  must  keep  beside  Saito 
under  penalty  of  remaining  behind,  and  bid- 
ding Saito  not  let  the  child  out  of  his  sight  a 
single  instant. 

Whether  Saito  felt  honored  in  his  responsi- 
bility or  not  need  not  be  dwelt  upon,  but  it 
is  certain  that  the  small  man  resolved  to  ful- 
fill his  duty  to  the  very  letter,  and  for  once  in 
her  brief  life  Miss  Beatrice  met  her  match. 
Try  as  she  would  she  could  not  "  shake  that 
hateful  little  squint-eyed  yellow  man." 

Consequently,  she  was  not  in  the  most 
amiable  frame  of  mind  when  she  got  back  to 
the  camp,  and  had  made  up  her  mind  to  "get 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  189 

even"  with  somebody;  she  had  not  a  very 
clear  idea  with  whom. 

"Mrs.  Curtis,  please  let  me  ride  to  the 
landing  in  Raymond's  car?  I've  never  ridden 
in  it  yet,"  she  said,  preparing  to  scramble  up 
beside  Raymond,  who  had  already  taken  his 
seat,  and  who  promptly  said: 

"No  kid,  there  won't  be  room  for  you  this 
time.  Go  long  back  to  Mother." 

"I  don't  wish  to.  I  prefer  to  be  with  your 
set,"  objected  the  precocious  one. 

"Well,  I'm  sorry,  but  you  can't  make  it  this 
trip.  I've  got  a  full  crew,  so  run  along  and 
quit  fussin' '  Perhaps  Raymond's  patroniz- 
ing tone  did  more  to  enrage  the  little  lady  than 
anything  else.  It  was  "so  humiliating  to  be 
treated  like  a  child."  Save  the  mark!  But 
since  there  was  no  alternative,  and  Mrs.  Curtis 
was  calling  to  her,  back  she  went. 

Raymond's  car  was  designed  to  carry  seven, 
but  this  time  it  did  extra  duty,  for  not  only 
did  it  carry  Raymond  and  the  four  girls  of  the 
party,  but  Toots,  Tubby  and  Dicky  also. 


190  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

They  started  as  soon  as  all  were  "  stowed," 
leaving  the  others  to  follow.  Next  to  get 
under  way  was  the  car  from  the  hotel  in  which 
Saito,  his  assistant  and  the  chauffeur  were  to 
convey  the  hampers  and  rugs  down  to  the 
Idlewild,  and  then  with  the  lightened  car  make 
the  homeward  run,  Raymond's  car  to  be  taken 
back  by  Saito.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis,  Miss 
Forrester,  Hope  and  Beatrice  were  to  go  down 
to  the  landing  in  Mr.  Curtis'  car. 

As  Hope  was  unable  to  sit  upright  as  the 
others  did,  she  was  reclining  as  usual  upon  the 
little  pallet  which  filled  all  one  side  of  the 
tonneau.  Miss  Forrester  sat  next  her  and 
her  mother  upon  the  left  side.  Beatrice  was 
to  have  occupied  the  little  adjustable  seat  in 
front  of  Mrs.  Curtis  where  that  lady  could 
keep  a  watchful  eye  upon  her.  But  at  the 
last  moment  she  begged  to  sit  in  front  with 
the  chauffeur. 

"Will  you  sit  quietly,  dear?"  asked  Mrs. 
Curtis.  "  You  know  it  is  a  dangerous  road." 

"Yes,  I'll  sit  quietly,"  was  the  reply. 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  191 

Nevertheless,  it  was  with  secret  misgiving 
that  Mrs.  Curtis  saw  her  settled  in  front  and 
Mr.  Curtis  take  the  chair  in  the  tonneau. 
The  run  was  barely  a  half  mile,  it  is  true,  but 
it  was  a  wild,  rocky  road  and  Mrs.  Curtis  had 
held  her  breath  more  than  once  when  the  run 
up  from  the  yacht  had  been  made.  She 
would  be  thankful  when  they  were  safe  on 
board. 

"All  ready?  Are  you  comfortable,  sweet- 
heart? "  asked  Mr.  Curtis  of  Hope. 

"Snug  as  a  bug  in  a  rug,  Daddy,  and  the 
happiest  girl  in  this  world!" 

"Good!  Go  ahead,  Pierre."  The  car 
started  slowly  down  the  steep  mountain  road. 
For  a  mountain  road  it  was,  to  be  sure,  an 
unusually  broad,  and  well  made  one,  but  all 
the  making  in  the  world  cannot  guard  against 
the  ravages  which  are  made  by  the  heavy, 
torrential  thunder  showers  which  so  often 
visit  Lake  George. 

The  car  had  made  about  half  the  journey, 
and  the  Idlewild,  lying  at  the  dock  far  below, 


192  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

was  in  sight,  Raymond's  friends  already  on 
board,  the  picnic  car  had  been  unloaded  and 
was  about  to  start  upon  its  homeward  journey. 
Saito  was  about  starting.  The  two  cars  had 
to  return  by  the  road  leading  past  the  cave, 
there  being  no  other  in  that  wild  region  and 
must  meet  Mr.  Curtis'  car.  Just  then  Mr. 
Curtis'  car  dipped  into  a  bit  of  pine  woods 
which  shut  off  all  view  of  the  lake.  A  little 
beyond  was  a  sharp,  and  very  dangerous 
turn,  with  a  sheer  precipice  of  two  hundred 
feet  on  Hope's  side  of  the  car. 

"Be  very  cautious,  Pierre,"  warned  Mr. 
Curtis. 

"Oui,  Monsieur,"  answered  the  chauffeur, 
his  eyes  upon  the  turn  and  his  foot  on  his 
break. 

The  car  had  just  crept  down  to  the  turn, 
Pierre  advancing  with  the  utmost  caution, 
when  Beatrice  in  the  winking  of  an  eye, 
sprang  to  her  feet  crying: 

"Oh  look  at  that  big  white  owl  sitting  on 
that  branch!" 


THE  GOBLIN'S  CAVE  193 

At  that  instant  the  car  made  the  turn,  the 
child  lost  her  balance,  and  fell  heavily  against 
Pierre,  causing  him  to  loose  his  hold  upon  the 
wheel,  and  throwing  his  foot  off  the  break. 

It  was  all  over  in  an  instant,  as  such  terrible 
calamities  always  are,  but  when  such  of  the  oc- 
cupants of  the  overturned  car  as  could  do  so 
had  scrambled  to  their  feet  Hope  Curtis  lay 
still  and  white  upon  a  rocky  ledge  fifty  feet 
below  the  road,  and  at  the  same  instant  Saito, 
with  the  cry  of  a  lost  soul,  flung  himself  over 
the  precipice  and  landed  beside  the  motionless 
figure. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

LOOKING   BACKWARD 

Three  weeks  have  passed  since  that  day  of 
horror  upon  Lake  George.  A  day  which  be- 
gan so  auspiciously,  which  held  so  much 
happiness,  but  ended  so  tragically. 

Merciful  unconsciousness  had  come  to  Mrs. 
Curtis  as  her  eyes  fell  upon  the  inert  form 
lying  upon  the  narrow  ledge  of  rock  fifty  feet 
below  the  road.  A  foot  further  and  Hope 
would  have  fallen  to  the  bottom  of  the  preci- 
pice. Truly  the  Higher  Power  must  have 
held  her  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand  and  laid 
her  upon  the  bed  of  pine  needles  with  which 
the  rock  was  so  thickly  carpeted. 

Saito  had  raised  Hope's  head,  and  pressed 
his  hand  against  the  fluttering  heart,  calling 
to  those  above : 

1 '  Some  beat !    No  mage  dead !    Queek,  help 


LOOKING  BACKWARD  195 

up !     Ropes  from  boat !     Big  blanket !     Mage 
hurry!" 

Mr.  Curtis  had  sent  the  car  for  help,  and 
for  a  time  all  seemed  confusion,  yet  under 
rapid  direction  order  was  brought  forth,  while 
Mrs.  Curtis  was  hurried  down  to  the  Idlewild, 
and  soon  afterward  four  of  the  crew  bore 
aboard  the  pallet  with  its  unconscious  burden. 

Roger's  Rock  Hotel  was  the  nearest  point 
at  which  communication  with  the  outer 
world  could  be  obtained  and  to  this  point  the 
Idlewild  had  made  record  speed. 

There  a  physician  was  found  and  from  that 
point  phone  messages  and  telegrams  had  been 
sent  far  and  near,  the  latter  overtaking  Dr.— 
at  Montreal  and  bringing  him  to  Ruheheute 
at  top  speed. 

Twenty-four  hours  later  the  Curtis  family 

had  returned  to  their  home  in th  street. 

And  what  a  return  compared  with  the  setting 
forth! 

Hope  was  alive,  yes,  but  that  was  about  all 
which  could  be  said.  She  had  never  spoken 


196  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

from  the  moment  she  replied  to  her  father's 
question  regarding  her  comfort,  and  how  well 
he  remembered  those  words.  "The  happiest 
girl  in  this  world."  From  that  moment  she 
had  looked  out  over  the  wonderful  lake  spread 
before  her,  her  face  the  very  picture  of  con- 
tent and  happiness.  Days  had  since  passed 
while  in  her  suite  with  Miss  Forrester,  Miss 
Woodward,  and  two  other  skilled  nurses  in 
attendance,  she  lay  hour  after  hour  fighting 
her  battle  for  life.  Meanwhile  Mrs.  Curtis, 
the  limit  of  strength  and  nerve  strain  at  last 
reached,  lay  tossing  in  delirium  in  her  room 
below  while  friends  and  dear  ones  waited  with 
bated  breath  for  the  outcome.  Not  only  was 

Dr.  — 's  skill  taxed  to  the  limit,  but  Dr. 

Hartmann's  hands  and  mind  were  more  than 
full. 

The  great  French  surgeon  had  returned  to 
Paris,  only  a  few  days  after  the  accident 
there  performing  wonderful  cures,  and  after 
a  month  had  passed  without  any  apparent 


LOOKING  BACKWARD  197 

change  in  Hope's  condition  Dr.  — cabled 

abroad. 

In  another  week  the  house  in  — — th  street 
was  again  closed  and  left  in  Michael's  care, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  with  Miss  Forrester, 

Miss  Woodward,  Lizette,  Saito  and  Dr.  — 

were  on  board  the  great  Lusitania  bound  for 
Paris,  all  else  giving  way  to  the  urgent  needs 
of  the  two  dear  invalids,  though  Mrs.  Curtis, 
was  now  out  of  danger  and  mending  rapidly. 
Long  before  the  voyage  ended  she  was  able 
to  sit  beside  Hope's  couch,  though  the  little 
girl  could  only  smile  at  her  and  whisper  a 
word  or  two;  words  so  precious  because 
invariably  words  of  encouragement  for  those 
she  loved  best. 

She  did  not  suffer.  Indeed,  those  watching 
her  would  have  been  almost  glad  of  evidences 
of  pain  because  that  would  have  been  proof 
of  sensation.  But  since  that  terrible  fall 
there  had  been  absolutely  no  voluntary  mo- 
tion; just  this  hopeless  discouraging  paralysis 
which  baffled  all  treatment.  Day  after  day 


198  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

had  passed  in  her  silent  room  without  the 
slightest  change. 

Saito  now  acted  as  courier  and  valet  and 
also  served  in  a  thousand  other  capacities. 
One  morning  Mr.  Curtis  said  to  his  wife : 

"What  should  we  do  without  that  little 
Jap?  He  anticipates  every  wish,  every  need. 
He  is  absolutely  tireless  and  I  would  rather 
trust  to  his  judgment  than  my  own.  We 
can  never  reward  him  for  his  devotion  to  us 
and  to  Hope.  But,  Violet,  have  you  noticed 
that  he  has  never  smiled  since  that  dreadful 
day,  and  never  speaks  unless  spoken  to?  He 
used  to  be  all  bows  and  smiles  and  deferential 
greetings,  but  now  a  shadow  could  hardly  be 
more  silent." 

"Yes,  he  feels  Hope's  condition  keenly. 
He  has  always  been  so  devoted  to  her.  Yet 
at  times  I  have  distrusted  him,  Raymond." 

"On  what  grounds,  dear?"  was  Mr.  Curtis' 
surprised  question. 

"I  wish  I  had  more  valid  ones  for  my  dis- 
trust. At  least,  I  wish  I  could  dismiss  all 


LOOKING  BACKWARD  199 

doubt  at  once  and  forever  because  it  really 
has  so  little  foundation.  I  am  afraid  it  is 
purely  feminine  intuition,  yet  I  have  always 
felt  that  Saito  is  not  what  he  seems — just  a 
Japanese  butler — because  he  is  certainly  very 
superior  to  those  of  his  class  who  seek  such 
employment  He  is  obviously  well  educated 
and  has  a  very  fair  knowledge  of  French." 

"How  did  you  discover  that?"  asked  Mr. 
Curtis  quickly. 

"I  found  him  reading  a  French  book  one 
afternoon  at  home  and  later  learned  that  he 
could  both  write  and  speak  the  language. 
That  his  English  is  so  faulty  surprises  me,  for 
as  a  rule  the  Japanese  acquire  our  language 
very  readily,  yet  he  has  been  in  our  country 
three  years." 

"Well,  he  probably  does  not  intend  to  re- 
main in  it  forever.  But  sufficient  unto  the 
day.  He  is  with  us  now  and  has  saved  me  a 
thousand  annoyances,  spared  me  endless 
trouble.  How  I  should  have  closed  the  house, 
attended  to  the  details  incident  to  a  long 


200  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

absence  from  the  office,  in  short  have  accom- 
plished one  tenth  of  what  I  have  accomplished, 
without  Saito's  omnipresence,  I  can  not 
possibly  guess.  Why  he  has  practically  plan- 
ned everything  and  I  have  only  had  to  sign 
the  cheques  to  meet  the  expenses." 

And  there  the  discussion  dropped.  Three 
days  later  they  were  in  Paris.  A  week  later 
the  operation  was  performed.  Then  followed 
weeks  of  careful  nursing,  and  alternating  doubt 
and  hope. 

How  little  the  surgeon  could  promise. 

"Time!  Time!  Time!  Care!  Care!  Care! 
Patience!  Patience!  Patience!  my  dear 
Madam,"  was  all  he  would  say. 

"But  I  have  been  patient  so  long!  And 
could  she  have  had  greater  care?" 

The  tone  in  which  the  words  were  spoken 
was  like  a  cry  of  despair. 

He  laid  his  hand  uponMrs.  Curtis'  shoulder. 
The  touch  was  full  of  the  tenderest  compassion 
and  his  words  carried  greater  comfort  than  he 
guessed. 


LOOKING  BACKWARD  201 

"Dear  Madam,  it  is  the  care  of  the  past 
seven  years  which  is  telling  now.  Had  she 
not  had  it  she  would  not  be  with  you  at  this 
moment.  It  has  enabled  her  to  survive  the 
shock  which  I  have  from  the  beginning  felt 
to  be  her  only  hope  for  ultimate  recovery. 
Yet,  even  as  I  spoke  the  words  in  your  beauti- 
ful home  in  America,  I  dreaded  the  thought 
of  what  it  might  mean,  just  as  you  dreaded 
it.  Perhaps  more,  for  I  knew  it  meant  so 
much.  I  little  dreamed  how  soon  my  words 
would  be  put  to  the  proof.  Perhaps  they  were 
prophetic.  We  can  not  know.  We  cannot 
tell.  We  see  darkly.  I  have  done  my  best 
for  the  child  but  I  must  leave  the  rest  with 
le  Bon  Dieu  who  gave  me  my  skill.  I  am  only 
his  instrument.  A  far  from  perfect  one,  alas! 
and  with  very  human  limitations.  Yet  so 
far  it  has  proved  to  be  as  I  predicted.  The 
fall  made  it  possible  to  perform  the  operation 
upon  the  hip.  The  paralysis  was,  it  is  true, 
the  result  of  the  fall,  but  a  result  less  serious 
to  cope  with,  though  it  appeared  more  alarm- 


202  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

ing.  I  do  not  dare  encourage  you  too  much, 
yet  this  I  firmly  believe,  that  within  a  short 
time  there  will  be  a  decided  change  and  God 
grant  it  may  be  for  the  better.  At  first  all  will 
seem  dark  and  discouraging.  Take  her  to  the 
Riviera  for  the  Winter  and  see  what  the  soft 
air  will  do  for  the  little  girl.  With  all  my 
heart  I  say  Dieu  vous  garde." 

So  passed  November  and  December.  That 
Christmas  day  was  the  saddest  Mrs.  Curtis 
had  ever  known.  They  strove  to  bring  some 
cheer  and  joy  into  it  but  with  very  doubtful 
success.  Now  January  was  upon  them.  Not 
the  cold,  bleak  January  of  Northern  Europe, 
or  of  the  city  over  the  sea,  but  the  semi- 
tropical  Christmas  of  the  Mediterranean. 
As  the  month  advanced  Hope  grew  strangely 
restless.  Mrs.  Curtis  was  troubled.  She 
watched  the  child  with  redoubled  vigilance. 

One  beautiful  morning  as  they  sat  upon  the 
broad  terrace  of  the  charming  villa  which  Mr. 
Curtis  had  rented,  Hope  was  looking  out 
across  the  sapphire  blue  waters  of  the  sea. 


LOOKING  BACKWARD  203 

Presently  she  sighed  deeply.  Her  face  was 
turned  from  her  mother.  Mrs.  Curtis  bent 
quickly  forward  and  to  her  dismay  found  the 
child's  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"Why,  my  darling!  What  is  it?"  she 
cried,  as  she  dropped  upon  her  knees  beside 
the  couch  and  laid  her  arms  about  the  beloved 
little  form. 

Hope  nestled  close  in  the  encircling  arms, 
a  little  sob  escaping  her  lips;  a  sound  so  rarely 
heard,  yes,  almost  unknown,  that  Mrs.  Curtis' 
heart  sank. 

"Tell  Mother,  sweetheart.  Are  you  in 
pain?" 

"No,  not  in  the  least,  only — oh  mother  I 
don't  know  what  ails  me.  I  am  so  restless 
and  cross.  I  try  not  to  be,  I  truly  do,  but 
I  don't  seem  to  be  able  to  help  it.  I  don't 
believe  I  know  what  I  want, — unless — unless-' 

She  paused  and  again  looked  longingly 
out  over  the  sea.  Mrs.  Curtis  gently  turned 
the  lovely  little  face  toward  her,  saying: 

"My  little  girl,  something  is  troubling  you, 


204  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

and  I  must  know  what  it  is.  If  father  or  I 
can  remove  the  cause  you  know  we  live  for 
little  else." 

"I  know  it  Mumsey,  dear,  and  that  is  the 
reason  I  'm  ashamed  of  myself.  No  girl  ever 
had  so  much  done  for  her,  I  am  sure,  and  so 
I  try  to  be  patient  and  not  get  the  fidgets 
as  I  have  today,  but — I — Mother — it  is 
lovely,  here  isn't  it?  There  couldn't  be  a 
more  beautiful  spot  in  the  world  1  am  sure, — 
but — but — don't  you  think  it  must  be  snug 
and  cosy  in  Ruhevoll?  And  Bistri  and 
Scheherazade  must  be  lonely  without  me. 
I  love  my  window  and  St.  Stephen's  choir. 
Do  you  think  Mr.  Sands  will  be  home  now? 
And  Beatrice " 

"Oh,  don't  dear!"  The  words  were  al- 
most a  cry,  for  from  that  awful  hour  Mrs. 
Curtis  had  shuddered  at  the  mention  of  the 
child's  name.  Indeed,  she  was  never  spoken 
of  in  her  presence. 

"  Forgive   me,   Mumsey,    I   forgot,   but — 


LOOKING  BACKWARD  205 

can't  you  forgive  Bee?  She  did  not  mean 
to,  you  know?" 

"Did  not  mean  to!  Did  not  mean  to! 
Oh,  the  world  is  filled  with  those  who  do  not 
mean  to,  but  who  bring  ruin  to  so  many. 
I  can't  bear  to  think  of  her. " 

Never  before  had  Mrs.  Curtis  given  way 
to  her  feelings  to  this  extent,  and  now  she 
strove  to  recover  her  self-control.  She  had 
never  seen  Beatrice  from  that  hour.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Packard  had  called  again  and  again, 
and  done  all  in  their  power  to  make  some 
reparation  for  the  calamity  caused  by  the 
child's  disobedience,  though  well  Mrs.  Pack- 
ard knew  that  its  true  cause  lay  at  her  own 
door. 

"I  try  to  forgive  and  forget,  dear,  but 
when  I  think  of  what  her  one  brief  second's 
disobedience  has  cost  you  it  is  almost  be- 
yond my  power  to  do  so.  Let  us  talk  of 
something  pleasanter.  Tell  me  the  cause 
of  the  tears,  and  let  me  send  it  to  the  right- 
about. We  cannot  have  them  in  these 


206  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

eyes,"  and  Mrs.  Curtis  pressed  her  lips  to 
the  soft  eyes  raised  to  hers  and  again  smiling. 

''Mother,  in  just  a  little  while  Easter  will 
be  here;  it  comes  very  early  this  year,  you 
know,  and  will  fall  on  my  birthday  again. 
I  mean  my  birthday  will  fall  on  Easter  Day. 
I  want  to  be  in  Ruhevoll  when  it  does.  Can 't 
we  go  home  soon?  I  think  I  shall  grow 
strong  more  quickly  if  I  am  in  my  own  nest, 
I  love  it  so.  Will  you  ask  Daddy?  1  want 
to  go  home.  I  am  so  homesick." 

Two  weeks  later  the  Curtis  home  was 
opened  and  the  little  Daisy  Maiden  re- 
established in  Ruhevoll. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

SAITO    TAKES   A   HOLIDAY 

The  homeward  voyage  had  been  the  very 
elixir  of  life  to  Hope,  each  mile  whirled  be- 
hind her  by  the  rapidly  revolving  propellers 
had  carried  her  toward  new  life.  Had  it  been 
anticipation  of  returning  to  old  scenes  and 
the  familiar  surroundings  which  she  had 
always  loved  so  dearly?  Or  were  the  French 
surgeon's  words  soon  to  be  realized?  What- 
ever the  cause  each  succeeding  day  had 
brought  marked  improvement  and  the  home- 
coming had  been  HOPE  figuratively  and 
literally. 

Re-established  in  Ruhevoll,  with  her  pets 
about  her,  the  sunshine  she  so  loved  flooding 
her  window,  and  hickory  logs  blazing  cheerily 
upon  the  andirons,  she  seemed  more  like 


208  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Hope  incarnate  than  ever.  The  old  order 
of  things  had  returned. 

Miss  Forrester  and  Miss  Woodward  grew 
cheerier;  their  faces  lost  the  lines  of  anxiety 
which  for  more  than  four  months  had  rested 
upon  them.  Lizette  was  the  happiest  creature 
imaginable,  for  was  not  her  charge  safe  at 
home  again?  Lizette  had  gone  home  to 
Switzerland  for  a  long  holiday  while  Hope  was 
in  Paris,  but  when  she  learned  the  family's 
decision  to  return  to  America  without  delay 
she  begged  to  return  with  them  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Curtis  wished  her  to  remain 
until  her  six-months'  holiday  was  ended. 

"Non,  not  in  Switzerland  when  ma  petite 
is  in  America.  The  long  distance;  the  great 
ocean  between  us?  Non!  Non!  I  make  ze 
return  wiz  her." 

And  Saito?  Saito  was  more  of  a  puzzle 
to  Mrs.  Curtis  than  ever,  and  at  the  same 
time  more  invaluable. 

Soon  after  the  return  to  th  Street, 

Saito  asked  for  a  short  vacation,  saying  that 


SA1TO   TAKES   A   HOLIDAY      209 

he  wished  to  go  to  Washington  to  visit  some 
friends.  Mr.  Curtis  was  only  too  glad  to 
grant  his  request,  and  just  before  his  depart- 
ure handed  him  a  very  generous  cheque. 

"Use  this  for  your  holiday,  Saito,  my  boy, 
and  have  a  good  time.  You  have  certainly 
earned  a  vacation,  but  nothing  which  Mrs. 
Curtis  or  I  can  give  to  you  can  ever  repay 
your  devotion  to  us  and  to  your  Yoshi-Ko, 
as  you  call  her.  Those  of  your  native  land 
regard  gratitude  as  one  of  the  highest  virtues. 
You  have  ours  in  full  measure,  Saito.  And 
remember  this  my  boy:  If  you  ever  need  a 
friend;  if  you  are  ever  in  need  of  any  as- 
sistance which  it  lies  in  my  power  to  give  to 
you,  come  or  send  to  me  at  once." 

As  he  ceased  speaking  Mr.  Curtis  held  out 
his  hand  and  smiled  his  kindly,  winning 
smile. 

For  a  second  Saito  hesitated,  then  placed 
his  small,  slender  hand  in  the  strong  firm  one. 

"Curtis-Sama  most  honorably  good. 
Thad  gratitude?  Yes — ad  Japan  we  all. 


210  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

time  thing  must  be.  Him  no  should  mage 
live  whad  no  god  thad  grad-i-tude.  Bud  me, 
Saito?  Perhaps  no  can  feel?  What  Curtis- 
Sama  thingin'  'bout  thad?" 

Saito's  expression  was  incomprehensible  to 
Mr.  Curtis.  Indeed,  he  had  long  since 
ceased  trying  to  understand  this  strange 
little  man,  but  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
accept  him  as  he  found  him  from  day  to 
day.  It  was  useless  to  attempt  to  fathom 
his  thoughts.  They  seemed  so  entirely  unlike 
the  trend  of  an  American's  thoughts.  So 
in  reply  to  Saito's  last  question  Mr.  Curtis 
said: 

"We  say  in  this  country,  Saito,  that  'ac- 
tions speak  louder  than  words.'  Do  you 
understand  it?  And  surely  your  devotion 
to  Miss  Hope  has  been  an  unending,  untiring 
evidence  of  your  gratitude  for  any  considera- 
tion we  may  have  shown  you.  We  would 
better  let  your  actions  speak  for  you.  We 
do  not  need  words,  I  can  only  add,  God  bless 
you  for  your  devotion  to  my  little  child." 


SA1TO   TAKES   A   HOLIDAY      211 

Mr.  Curtis  turned  abruptly  and  left  the 
room. 

Saito's  eyes  followed  him,  but  his  expres- 
sion did  not  change  until  Mr.  Curtis'  last 
footfall  died  away  and  silence  filled  the 
library.  Then  the  little  man  did  a  strange 
thing.  He  crossed  the  room  to  a  table  upon 
which  stood  a  beautiful  miniature  of  Hope 
painted  by  a  famous  artist  just  before  they 
left  Paris.  He  had  caught  the  child's  won- 
derful expression  and  exquisite  coloring  to  a 
rare  degree  and  the  face  looking  out  from  the 
jeweled  frame  was  indeed  as  pure  as  the  sun- 
goddess  of  Saito's  religion. 

Long  and  intently  he  gazed  upon  the 
picture,  then  replacing  it  upon  the  table 
prostrated  himself  before  it,  murmuring  in 
his  own  tongue: 

"Lead  me  aright,  oh  gracious  one.  Guide 
my  footsteps,  control  my  hand,  teach  my 
heart  and  give  me  the  wisdom  and  the  grati- 
tude, for  I  am  as  a  ship  tossed  by  the  waves; 
a  tiny  vessel  without  sail  or  rudder;  a  child 


212  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

who  wanders  in  a  strange  land.  The  mind 
and  the  heart  are  at  war  with  each  other. 
Have  mercy  and  graciously  point  the  way 
to  the  most  humble  of  thy  servants. " 

Just  then  a  light  step  was  audible  upon 
the  stairs  and  when  Miss  Forrester  entered 
the  library  Saito  was  laying  another  log  upon 
the  andirons. 

"Ah,  Saito,  can  you  tell  me  what  has  be- 
come of  '  The  Golden  Lotus'  ?  Miss  Hope 
wishes  me  to  read  her  one  of  the  tales  from 
it." 

"Mos'  sure,  I  bring  him  bag'  and  put  him 
on  shelf  ah1  same  place  thad  odder  books 
live.  Saito  ged?" 

A  moment  later  Miss  Forrester  held  the 
book  in  her  hand.  Thanking  Saito  she  re- 
turned to  Hope's  room. 

Two  days  later  Saito  asked  permission  to 
bid  Hope  good-by.  He  brought  with  him 
a  beautiful  pot  of  narcissi. 

Bowing  low  he  offered  it  to  Hope  saying: 

"  Saito  mage  farewell  ad  Yoshi-Ko.    Mage 


SA1TO   TAKES  A   HOLIDAY      213 

offering  Ingo-so  for  while  some  time  Saito 
far  away.  Inyo-so  all  same  the  gread  Hino- 
hime  and  Saito:  Boy-girl.  Shaka  watch 
both}  mage  all  ride  all  time  Saito  goin' 
Wash-eng-ton.  Comin'  bag  in  liddle  bid 
while." 

The  Narcissus  is  called  the  Plant  of  the 
Two  Sexes  because  in  Japan  it  comes  in  the 
winter  and  lasts  until  the  spring  of  the  f  ollow- 
year.  Saito  wished  to  convey  the  idea  that 
it  was  symbolical  of  Hope  and  himself  and 
if  it  remained  fresh  and  fragrant  during  his 
absence  all  would  be  well  with  her  and  with 
him.  At  Christmas  he  had  given  her  a 
wonderful  Japanese  book  called  "The  Art 
of  Floral  Arrangement."  Consequently  she 
fully  understood  the  significance  of  his  offer- 
ing. 

"  Ah,  Saito,  you  are  so  good.  How  do  you 
think  of  all  the  wonderful  things  you  do  for 
me?  And  you  have  taught  me  so  many 
lovely  legends  of  the  flowers.  Why,  every 
one  has  a  beautiful  story  to  tell  me  now,  but 


214  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

if  you  had  not  come  to  live  with  us  I  should 
never  have  known  a  single  thing  about  them. 
They  would  have  been  just  flowers  to  me — 
any  old  flowers,  I  dare  say,"  laughed  Hope. 
"  What  dull,  stupid  folk  we  must  seem  to  the 
Japanese  people  who  find  a  beautiful  story 
in  everything  which  lives  and  grows.  The 
Inyo-so  are  sweet  and  I  shall  think  of  you 
Saito,  whenever  I  look  at  them.  And  be  sure 
I  shall  take  the  greatest  care  of  them  to 
keep  all  well  between  thee  and  me  while  we 
are  parted.  It  can  all  be  said  in  one  word. 
Do  you  know  that? 

"  One  word?  Thad  wish?  "  Saito  looked 
puzzled.  "Yoshi-Ko  speag  thad  word  for 
Saito?" 

"Mizpah,  Miz-pah, "  repeated  Hope  slowly. 

"Mees-pah.  Mees-pah.  Saito  have  god. 
Saito  keep.  Yes?" 

"Isn't  it  a  dear  word,  Saito?  And,  oh, 
Saito  I  can  give  you  a  talisman,  too.  Father 
gave  it  to  me  in  Mentone. " 

Hope  drew  from  her  finger  a  curious  ring, 


SAITO  TAKES  A  HOLIDAY      215 

and  held  it  out  so  Saito  could  read  the  in- 
scription encircling  it.  The  ring  was  a  band 
of  dark  blue  enamel  with  the  word  Mizpah 
in  gold  upon  it. 

For  a  moment  Saito  hestitated.  Hope 
believing  him  to  be  embarrassed  smilingly 
took  his  left  hand  in  hers  and  slipped  the 
ring  upon  his  slender  finger,  saying  with  the 
smile  so  like  her  father's: 

"God  keep  watch  over  thee  and  me  when 
we  are  parted,  Saito. " 

How  softly  her  sweet  voice  spoke  those 
words.  Saito  trembled  as  he  looked  into 
the  beautiful  eyes  raised  to  his.  Then  he 
dropped  upon  one  knee,  and  raising  Hope's 
hand  rested  his  forehead  upon  it  for  the 
briefest  moment. 

As  he  rose  to  his  feet  Hope  retained  his 
hand  and  in  one  of  the  sweet  little  carressing 
actions  so  native  to  her  pressed  her  velvety 
cheek  to  it,  saying: 

"When  you  press  my  hand  to  your  fore- 
head you  mean  that  you  love  me,  1  know, 


216  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

Saito.  But  to  show  you  that  I  also  love 
you  I  press  my  cheek  to  yours. " 

Somehow  Saito  always  seemed  a  mere  boy 
to  Hope:  He  was  so  small.  How  little 
she  dreamed  the  true  meaning  of  his  act,  or 
the  influence  her  own  half-playful,  half- 
serious  one  would  have  upon  her  own  life 
and  those  dearest  to  her.  If  the  Japanese 
can  turn  white  Saito  certainly  turned  white 
at  that  moment.  Then  falling  into  Japa- 
nese he  spoke  rapidly,  Hope  interrupting 
him  with  a  merry  laugh  and  saying: 

"Ah,  Saito,  Saito!  Now  you  have  it 
quite  all  your  own  way.  You  know  I  can't 
follow  your  language.  Come  back  to  mine 
please. " 

And  Saito  came  back  in  a  manner  which 
amazed  Hope,  for  he  said  in  purest  English: 

"Yes,  the  great  Christian  God  will  watch 
between  thee  and  me. "  Then  in  the  deepest 
confusion  added:  "Saito  must  mage  the 
hurry.  Railway  train  no  mage  wait  for  one 


SA1TO  TAKES  A   HOLIDAY      217 

liddle  man.  Arigato.  Arigato.  Sayonara. 
Sayonara,  O  Hinohime. " 

A  moment  later  he  had  gone  and  Hope 
turning  to  her  mother  asked: 

"  Did  you  hear  him  repeat  my  words?  How 
could  he  catch  the  words  and  the  accent  so 
perfectly?  Why  there  wasn't  any  accent 
at  all.  That  is  the  funny  part  of  it  all.  Yet 
he  has  always  spoken  such  queer  English. 
Dear  me,  he  is  so  odd.  I  wonder  if  we  shall 
ever,  ever  really  understand  him,  Mother?" 

"I  am  sure  I  never  shall,  dear.  He  has 
always  been  a  puzzle  to  me  and  instead  of 
growing  less  of  a  puzzle  he  becomes  a  greater 
one.  It  will  seem  odd  to  have  him  away, 
but  I  half  believe  I  shall  feel  relieved.  Some- 
times his  strange  Oriental  ways  fidget  me. 
I  doubt  I'm  growing  a  fussy  old  lady." 

"Fussy  old  lady!  Mumsey,  hush!  What 
did  the  boys  say  when  they  were  at  the  Lake 
last  summer?  That  you  were  just  as  much 
of  a  girl  as  the  best  of  them, — I  mean  the 
girls  at  the  hotel, — and  Raymond  said  you 


218  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

were  his  best  girl  any  way.  So  be  good  and 
forget  all  about  Saito  for  a  little  while  if  he 
bothers  you.  If  he  ever  bothers  me  then  you 
may  send  him  to  the  right-about.  Now 
if  that  isn't  setting  myself  up  for  a  very 
important  young  person  I'd  like  to  know 
what  can  be." 

'You  are  the  most  important  young  per- 
son in  this  house,"  asserted  Mrs.  Curtis. 

"To  be  sure  1  am  because  there  isn't  any 
other,"  laughed  Hope. 

But  Mrs.  Curtis  was  not  permitted  to  for- 
get Saito  so  quickly. 

He  had  been  absent  about  a  week  when  a 
friend  calling  upon  her  said: 

"I  wish  you  could  have  been  at  Mrs. 
Drummond's  reception  last  evening;  there 
was  the  most  remarkable  little  man  present, 
a  Japanese.  He  was  perfectly  fascinating, 
and  1  have  never  heard  such  faultless,  beauti- 
ful English  as  he  spoke.  He  has  recently 
come  from  the  University  of  Tokio,  sent 
here,  1  understand,  by  his  government  in 


SA1TO   TAKES  A  HOLIDAY      219 

the  interests  of  some  scientific  research. 
Why,  I  believe  that  little  man's  head  held 
enough  knowledge  for  half  a  dozen  ordinary 
men.  Violet,  I  wish  you  would  go  out  more. 
You  really  ought  not  bury  yourself  alive 
in  this  manner,  not  even  for  Hope.  She  has 
the  most  perfect  care  in  the  world  and  is  doing 
wonders.  Everyone  can  see  that. " 

"Yes,  and  I  wish  her  to  continue  to.  I 
made  one  mistake  which  very  nearly  cost 
her  life.  I  shall  not  make  another,  Olive. 
But  what  was  the  name  of  your  little  Japa- 
nese wonder,  and  what  did  he  look  like?" 

"His  name  was  Mr.  Togashi,  but  to  de- 
scribe his  looks?  Well,  that  is  quite  beyond 
me.  I  am  afraid  it  is  somewhat  like  that 
ridiculous  song  Ned  is  forever  singing  'All 
coons  look  alike  to  me.'  I  am  sure  all  Japs 
look  alike  to  me,  only  I  must  say  this  one 
had  one  distinguishing  mark  by  which  I  shall 
be  able  to  recognize  him  among  his  fellows 
if  I  ever  again  come  across  him:  He  had  an 
odd  little  patch  of  white  hair,  no  larger  than 


220  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

a  half  dollar,  low  down  at  the  back  of  his  head. 
Why  what  ails  you,  Violet?  You  look  as 
startled  as  though  I  had  said  he  grew  half 
dollars  upon  his  head  instead  of  hair," 
laughed  Mrs.  Curtis'  friend. 

"Nothing,  I  often  start  in  that  way.  I 
dare  say  I  am  a  trifle  nervous." 

"That  exactly  bears  out  what  I  am  saying. 
Will  you  go  out  more?" 

"We'll  see,"  smiled  Mrs.  Curtis,  as  her 
friend  took  leave. 

When  alone  Mrs.  Curtis  stood  for  a  mo- 
ment in  deep  thought.  What  singular  coin- 
cidence was  this?  Saito  had  just  such  a 
peculiar  patch  of  hair  low  down  upon  the 
back  of  his  head.  Perhaps  a  dozen  Japanese 
men  might  have,  but  it  was  hardly  likely. 
But  on  the  other  hand  Saito's  English  was 
very  imperfect  and  Saito  at  that  moment  was 
in  Washington.  Of  this  she  was  sure  because 
the  morning  mail  had  brought  Hope  a  curious 
little  silver  bracelet  which  he  had  sent  to  her. 
But  Mrs.  Curtis  could  not  forget  that  one 


SA1TO  TAKES  A  HOLIDAY      221 

perfectly  spoken  English  sentence  the  morning 
Saito  left  Ruhevoll.  Oh,  what  a  puzzle  it  all 
was. 


CHAPTER  XV 

"IT  BAINS,  AND  THE  WIND  IS  NEVER  WEARY.  " 

Perhaps  the  entire  quotation  would  best 
describe  the  first  day  of  March,  though  there 
were  no  leaves  to  cling  to  the  ivy  which 
mantled  the  entire  west  side  of  the  house. 
They  had  long  since  turned  to  mold. 

But  if  the  world  beyond  Hope's  window 
was  "wild,  wet  and  dreary,"  there  was  no 
lack  of  cheeriness  in  Ruhevoll,  and  Hope  was 
the  cheeriest  object  of  all  as  she  reclined  in 
her  easy  chair. 

During  the  past  two  weeks  her  condition 
had  improved  to  a  degree  which  had  amazed 
even  Miss  Forrester. 

"Why,  you  are  growing  stronger  by  leaps 
and  bounds,  honey,"  she  had  said  to  her 
patient  only  that  afternoon,  for  to  her  amaze- 
ment Hope  had  asked  to  sit  in  the  big  cush- 


"IT  RAINS"  223 

ioned  chair.  At  first  Miss  Forrester  de- 
murred, fearing  it  would  over-tax  her  strength. 

"Please  let  me  try;  just  *or  a  little  while, " 
begged  the  child. 

"Will  you  let  me  know  the  very  first 
second  you  feel  the  slightest  fatigue,  dear? 
I  dare  not  risk  that,  you  know. " 

"Even  an  ache  in  my  little  finger/'  was 
Hope's  merry  answer. 

So,  settled  in  her  window,  with  Scherazade 
in  her  lap,  Bistri  upon  the  window  seat,  and 
Timbuctoo  performing  all  sorts  of  funny 
antics  upon  his  bar,  she  sat  a  veritable  little 
princess  in  her  bower,  for  flower-filled  vases 
stood  all  about  the  room  and  the  window  was 
a  garden  of  palms  and  blossoming  plants. 

Near  at  hand  Mrs.  Curtis  sat  working 
upon  a  bit  of  fancy  work. 

"Mother,  in  just  nineteen  days  I  shall  be 
twelve  years  old!  Think  of  that!  Then 
come  the  teens.  Do  you  remember  how 
proud  Raymond  was  when  he  got  into  his 
teens?  I  was  only  a  little  bit  of  a  thing, — 


224  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

it  was  just  before  I  was  hurt,  wasn't  it?  But 
I  remember  that  birthday,  though  I  don't 
seem  to  remember  much  about  those  which 
followed." 

"That  is  not  surprising,"  replied  Mrs. 
Curtis  with  a  slight  shudder.  She  had  no 
difficulty  in  recalling  every  one. 

" Don't  let  us  even  think  of  them  if  they 
make  that  tone  come  into  your  voice,  Mum- 
sey.  Let  us  think  of  mine,  which  will  be 
here  in  less  than  three  weeks.  Oh,  I  do  so  wish 
Raymond  could  spend  it  with  me!  Only 
think  how  long  it  is  since  I  have  seen  him. 
Five  whole  months.  Sometimes  I  just  hate 
those  old  regulations  which  keep  him  shut 
up  at  Annapolis  when  we  are  doing  delight- 
ful things.  But,  Mother,  in  three  months 
we  shall  have  him  home  a  real,  real,  truly- 
true  Ensign!  Won't  you  be  the  proudest 
mother  in  the  whole  world  and  shan't  I  be 
the  proudest  little  sister?  And,  Mother, 
come  close,  please,  because  I  want  to  whisper 
A  wonderful  secret  in  your  ear.  Promise  you 


"IT  RAINS"  225 

won't  tell?  Not  even  to  Daddy.  It  is  to 
be  just  your  secret  and  mine." 

Mrs.  Curtis  bent  smilingly  toward  Hope: 
These  little  confidences  were  very  precious 
to  her. 

"I'll  keep  the  secret  forever  and  a  day, 
dear,  what  is  it?" 

Hope  laid  a  hand  on  either  side  of  her 
mother's  face  and  drew  her  ear  close  to  her 
lips,  whispering  softly: 

"On  June  seventh  Raymond  graduates 
and  I  am  going  to  Annapolis  to  see  him! 
And  I  am  going  to  walk  into  that  big  armory 
of  which  he  has  shown  me  the  picture.  What 
do  you  think  of  that?  " 

Mrs.  Curtis  tried  to  control  her  start  of 
surprise.  Drawing  back,  she  looked  into 
Hope's  eyes.  Was  the  child  serious?  Did 
she  really  believe  her  own  words?  Or  was 
it  only  her  indomitable  courage  and  un- 
quenchable hope?  The  face  so  close  to  her 
own  was  radiant,  the  eyes  shone  like  stars. 

"Dear  little  girl  'thy  own  wish,  wish  I 


226  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

thee  in  every  place/  as  well  you  know,  but 
this  one  seems  almost  beyond  our  wildest 
dreams,  does  it  not?  Yet  what  would  it 
mean  to  me  to  see  this  dream  of  your  life  a 
reality?  Nothing  could  mean  half  so  much 
as  you  well  know.  Yet,  darling,  please  do 
not  think  too  much  about  it.  It  breaks 
mother's  heart  to  have  you  disappointed." 

To  her  mother's  surprise  Hope  laughed  a 
low,  confident  little  laugh,  then  whispered: 

"I  am  not  going  to  be  disappointed,  Mum- 
sey,  and  neither  are  you,  because  it  is  all 
quite  true.  Have  you  forgotten?  Don 't  you 
know  that  this  birthday  falls  upon  Easter 
day  again?" 

"No,  dear,  heart,  I  have  not  forgotten. 
Nor  have  I  forgotten  that  upon  that  day, 
also,  you  will  be  confirmed.  The  Sacrament 
can  not  be  taken  in  St.  Stephens,  that  is  true, 
and  we  both  regret  it,  but  Bishop  Pendleton 
will  be  our  guest  and  with  Father  and  Mother 
present  it  will  be  very  sacred,  very  beautiful. 
My  little  daughter  will  truly  be  one  of  Christ's 


"IT  RAINS"  227 

children,  though  I  have  always  felt  her  to  be 
singularly  one  on  account  of  her  birthday." 

"It  will  be  a  wonderful  day,  Mother.  I 
can't  help  feeling  the  most  wonderful  of  my 
whole  life.  My  dream  last  Easter  Day 
seemed  so  much  more  than  a  dream,  you 
know. " 

"Yes,  dear.  I  understand.  Please  God 
all  will  be  well  with  you  ere  long.  Yes, 
Lizette,  what  is  it?"  for  at  that  moment 
the  maid  came  to  the  door. 

"It  is  Saito,  Madam.  He  has  returned. 
He  asks  to  see  Miss  Hope. " 

"Oh,  I  am  so  glad!  Please  have  him  come 
up,  Mother.  I  want  so  much  to  see  him." 

"You  may  tell  him  to  come  upstairs, 
Lizette. " 

A  moment  later  Saito  stood  smiling  in  the 
doorway.  He  held  a  small  parcel  in  his 
hand. 

"Hai-yaku-hai  Okka-san!  O  Hinohime! 
Saito  mage  the  return.  Comin'  bag  ad 
Taka-miya.  Mage  happy  lige  bird  to  see 


228  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

again.  Saito  bringin'  Yoshi-Ko  so  mos' 
mos'  worthless  liddle  gif.  Mos'  poor  gif. 
Mebbe  Yoshi-Ko  don'  lige  whicheven.  Then 
can  fling  away.  Will  Yoshi-Ko  be  so  honor- 
ably good  as  loog  at  liddle  gif?" 

While  speaking  Saito  drew  nearer  and 
nearer,  at  the  same  time  removing  from  its 
wrapping  a  beautiful  little  lacquered  box 
which  he  handed  to  Hope. 

"Ah,  Saito,  it  was  quite  enough  to  come 
back  to  me  yourself.  I  have  missed  you  so 
much.  You  should  not  have  brought  me 
another  gift.  You  have  given  me  so  many 
already.  I  hope  you  had  a  delightful  holi- 
day,"  said  Hope  as  she  untied  the  ribbon 
upon  the  box,  Mrs.  Curtis  adding,  "Yes, 
Saito,  we  all  hope  that  I  am  sure. " 

"Oh,  Mother,  look!      Isn't  it  exquisite?" 

Saito's  gift  was  a  priceless  bit  of  Japanese 
ivory  carving  representing  the  god  Shaka 
seated  in  the  center  of  his  golden  Lotus  flower. 
Saito  had  long  ago  given  her  the  book  which 


"IT  RAINS"  229 

told  the  legend.      This  bit  of  ivory  carving 
was  a  rare  work  of  art. 

' '  Yoshi-Ko  have  the  j  oy ?  She  mage  happy 
to  have  great  god  Shaka?"  asked  Saito, 
smiling  and  bowing,  seemingly  as  happy  as  a 
child  himself. 

It  is  wonderfully  beautiful,  Saito.  I  am 
so  pleased  with  it.  See,  I  shall  keep  it  upon 
this  little  bracket  right  here  in  my  window 
where  I  can  always  look  at  it.  Then  I  shall 
think  of  you  when  I  do  so  and  shall  remember 
that  he  is  to  you  all  tlwt  picture  is  to  me," 
and  Hope  pointed  to  the  copy  of  West's 
painting  hanging  upon  the  wall. 

"Yes,  all  same.  Great  god.  And  Yoshi- 
Ko  gedding  bedder  all  same  time  queek. 
Nod  on  bed  now.  Sit  up  like  Okka-san. 
Saito  mage  happy  lige  singing.  Now  Saito 
goin'  see  all  so  nize  for  serving  dinner  when 
Curtis-Sama  comin'  home.  Ah-bah!"  (Good- 

by.) 

With  more  bows  he  departed.  As  he  left 
the  room  the  little  patch  of  white  hair  was 


230  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

made  more  evident  by  the  inky  black  hair 
surrounding  it.  The  glimpse  gave  Mrs. 
Curtis  a  peculiar  sensation.  It  is  safe  to  add 
that  had  she  followed  Saito's  movements  for 
the  ensuing  six  or  seven  hours,  she  would  have 
been  more  mystified  than  ever. 

At  six  o  'clock  Mr.  Curtis'  car  ran  up  to  the 
door  and  Saito  was  there  to  welcome  him. 

"Ah,  Saito,  this  is  like  old  times.  I  am 
glad  to  see  you  back  again.  Was  the  trip 
all  you  anticipated?  "  he  asked  as  Saito  took 
his  overcoat. 

"All  most  fine,  augustness.  Will  the  Cur- 
tis-Same go  ride  up  to  the  Okka-san  and 
Yoshi-Ko?" 

"Presently  Saito.  By-the-way,  there  is  an 
envelope  in  the  pocket  of  my  overcoat,  which 
I  wish  you  would  take  out  and  place  in  my 
safe  in  the  library.  Be  careful,  Saito,  for  the 
papers  are  valuable." 

"Saito  put  with  all  gread  care.  Curtis- 
Sama  can  go  ad  Yoshi-Ko." 

"Thank  you,  Saito.      Yes,  I  know  I  can 


"IT  RAINS"  231 

trust  you  to  attend  to  it.  You  have  never 
failed  me  yet.  Place  the  papers  in  the  private 
drawer  with  the  cash  box,"  and  Mr.  Curtis 
went  upstairs. 

The  papers  to  which  Mr.  Curtis  referred 
were  the  drawings  of  a  very  clever  invention 
for  which  he  was  to  take  out  a  patent  the 
moment  the  device,  an  attachment  for  one 
of  the  rapid  firing  guns  for  coast  defense, 
should  be  completed.  The  inventor,  a  young 
Army  officer,  had  been  at  work  upon  it  for 
more  than  two  years,  but  until  the  previous 
autumn  had  not  achieved  his  object.  At 
last,  however,  success  had  crowned  his  efforts 
but  just  as  he  was  about  to  turn  the  matter 
over  to  Mr.  Curtis  to  have  all  made  fast  and 
secure  through  the  protection  of  the  Patent 
Law,  Hope  was  ordered  to  Paris  and  Mr. 
Curtis  had  dropped  everything  in  order  to 
take  her  there. 

As  the  invention  was  a  very  valuable  one, 
and  very  vital  to  the  service,  it  was  kept  a 
profound  secret,  and  beyond  the  inventor 


232  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

himself  and  some  officials  holding  important 
positions  in  the  War  Department  at  Washing- 
ton, none  knew  of  it.  At  least  that  was  the 
belief  of  those  most  deeply  concerned. 

Mr.  Curtis'  sudden  departure  had  been  a 
great  disappointment  to  Lieutenant  Stod- 
dard,  for  having  followed  the  working  out  of 
the  device  from  the  very  beginning,  and  be- 
ing a  man  of  unquestionable  integrity,  Mr. 
Curtis  held  a  reputation  for  great  discretion 
and  reliability.  To  place  the  matter  in  other 
hands  at  that  stage  of  its  development  seemed 
most  impolitic  to  the  inventor.  Conse- 
quently he  had  held  the  matter  in  abeyance 
until  Mr.  Curtis'  return,  though  each  day's 
delay  caused  him  no  little  concern.  If  he 
could  invent  so  valuable  an  appliance  why 
could  not  some  one  else  equally  alive  to  the 
need  of  such  do  likewise,  and  immediately 
take  out  a  patent  for  it?  Then  the  work  and 
thought  of  years  would  be  practically  thrown 
away.  His  own  saner  judgment  dictated 
placing  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Curtis' 


"IT  RAINS"  233 

partner,  but  his  ranking  officers  at  Wash- 
ington urged  so  strongly  against  it  that  it 
practically  took  the  form  of  a  command. 
So  there  the  situation  stood,  while  the  young 
inventor  fumed  and  chafed  under  the  en- 
forced delay. 

Just  as  his  patience  was  at  the  snapping 
point  a  cablegram  announced  Mr.  Curtis' 
speedy  return  to  the  United  States  and  all 
seemed  to  promise  well. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Curtis  was  again  in  harness, 
as  he  called  it,  Lieutenant  Stoddard  hastened 
to  his  office,  and  that  very  morning  he  had 
given  him  the  completed  drawings  and  speci- 
fications. Mr.  Curtis  promised  to  take  up 
the  matter  at  once,  but  many  threads  of 
business  had  to  be  caught  up  after  his  long 
absence,  and,  the  day  had  slipped  away  be- 
fore he  could  complete  the  examination  of 
the  drawings. 

As  the  only  alternative,  he  carried  them 
home,  intending  to  spend  two  or  three  hours 
upon  them  before  retiring.  More  than  once, 


234  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

prior  to  his  departure  for  Europe  he  had 
taken  the  still  incomplete  drawings  home, 
and  had  spent  many  hours  examining  them, 
his  interest  increasing  each  time.  Upon  these 
occasions  he  had  merely  locked  them  in  his  desk, 
as  it  seemed  highly  improbable  that  anyone 
would  molest  them  or  even  see  them.  It  was 
this  package  which  he  handed  to  the  trusted 
Saito,  and  which  the  butler  carried  as  bidden 
to  place  in  Mr.  Curtis'  safe. 

It  was  midnight  when  Mr.  Curtis  finished 
examining  the  drawings  and  weary  from  a 
long,  exhausting  day  rose  from  his  chair, 
stretched  his  arms  above  his  head  in  relaxa- 
tion after  three  hours'  close  application  to  the 
intricacies  and  details  of  the  drawings  and 
specifications.  He  drew  a  sigh  of  relief  that 
he  had  at  length  come  to  the  end.  Then 
unconsciously  speaking  aloud,  said: 

"He  is  a  clever  man.  This  invention  is 
invaluable  and  will  revolutionize  the  effi- 
ciency of  coast  protection.  I  must  put  it 
through  without  further  delay.  Can't  take 


"IT  RAINS"  235 

any  chances  of  some  other  fellow  getting  wise 
to  it  before  we  clench  it  for  old  Uncle  Sam." 

Then  replacing  the  papers  in  the  safe  he 
turned  the  combination  and  left  the  library. 
An  hour  later  he  was  sound  asleep  and  the 
house  absolutely  silent. 

Two  a.  m.  had  chimed  out  upon  the  tall 
clock  in  the  lower  hall  when  a  small  figure 
stole  into  the  hushed  library  and  stealthily 
drew  near  to  the  safe.  A  moment  later  the 
combination  had  yielded  to  the  manipulations 
of  a  pair  of  slender  hands,  the  drawings  and 
specifications  were  withdrawn,  the  safe  again 
closed,  the  lock  clicked  back  and  then  the 
silent  figure  slipped  out  of  the  room  as  noise- 
lessly as  a  shadow. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A   LITTLE   PENITENT 

It  was  Holy  Week.  The  earlier  part  of  it 
had  been  wet  and  cold,  but  on  this  Good 
Friday  morning  the  sun  was  shining  brightly 
and  the  air  was  soft  and  balmy.  If  March 
had  chosen  to  come  roaring  in  like  a  lion, 
she  (or  shall  I  say  he?)  seemed  inclined  to 
assume  lamb-like  characteristics  toward  the 
close  of  the  month,  and  this  seventeenth  day 
promised  much  for  the  Easter  day  so  close 
at  hand. 

It  would  be  an  eventful  day  for  the  little 
Daisy  Maiden.  Her  birthday,  the  day  of  her 
comnrmation  by  the  Bishop  who  had  also 
confirmed  her  mother,  and  the  feast  day 
which  often  seemed  a  greater  one  to  her  than 
Christmas  day  itself,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
her  own  birthday  had  fallen  upon  it.  She 


A  LITTLE    PENITENT  237 

was  full  of  plans  for  this  one  and  this  lovely 
morning  she  sat  in  her  window  busily  tying 
up  her  little  Easter  offerings,  Miss  Forrester 
a  willing,  interested  assistant. 

Since  the  afternoon  upon  which  she  had 
asked  to  sit  in  her  easy  chair,  the  couch  had 
been  but  little  used,  and  each  day  seemed  to 
bring  added  strength  and  less  fatigue.  True, 
Miss  Forrester  did  not  relax  her  vigilance 
for  a  single  moment,  but  breathed  more  fully 
as  each  passing  day  showed  how  much  Hope 
was  gaining. 

Mrs.  Curtis  was  not  at  home  this  morning. 
She  had  endless  activities  in  connection  with 
many  charities,  her  deepest  interests  cen- 
tering in  those  concerning  children,  especially 
those  in  any  way  afflicted.  So  the  morning 
of  Good  Friday,  after  the  early  service  ended, 
was  always  given  over  to  the  children's  ward 
in  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  and  to  a  private  home 
for  crippled  children  which  she  quietly  and 
most  unostentatiously  maintained.  It  was 
called  "Hope's  Sanctuary,"  and  there  many 


238  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

a  hopeless  little  one  learned  the  meaning  of 
the  word  "Hope,"  and  many  a  cheerless  little 
life  grew  cheerful;  many  deformed  or  ailing 
little  body  grew  strong  and  able  to  cope  with 
the  demands  made  upon  it. 

Its  little  sponsor  had  never  visited  her 
"  Sanctuary, "  but  as  the  days  passed  by  the 
promise  of  her  doing  so  in  the  near  future 
seemed  much  brighter.  And  how  she  longed 
to  go  there.  She  already  knew  many  of  the 
little  inmates'  voices,  for  the  telephone  in  her 
window  had  its  duplicate  in  the  children's 
sun-parlor  and  those  who  were  strong  enough 
to  do  so  often  talked  with  her.  Then,  too, 
Hope  had  her  own  little  private  charities. 
Up  at  the  corner  of  the  street  was  Patrick 
O'Toole's  news-paper  stand  beneath  the  Ele- 
vated railroad.  Patrick  had  but  one  leg, 
but  he  managed  to  hobble  about  on  his 
crutches,  and  also  to  make  a  living  for  his 
three  grand-children  and  himself.  Not  very 
much  of  a  living  it  is  true,  for  the  eldest 
grandchild  was  but  thirteen  years  of  age  and 


A  LITTLE    PENITENT  239 

had  to  be  housekeeper  and  " little  mother" 
for  two  small,  rather  unruly  boys,  aged 
respectively  five  and  seven.  Thus  far,  how- 
ever, all  had  gone  fairly  well,  and  Hope  had 
kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  Mary  Ann,  Patrick 
Jr.,  and  Mickey.  It  was  an  eye  by  proxy, 
however,  either  her  mother  or  big  Michael 
being  her  almoners. 

And  the  little  O'Tooles  were  included  in 
these  Easter  plans,  just  as  were  the  little 
Colts  up  at  Lake  George,  for  just  now  some 
wonderful  Easter  eggs  were  being  wrapped  up 
and  addressed  to  them:  Eggs  whose  meat 
was  quite  unlike  that  of  ordinary  meat. 

Hope  was  trying  to  decide  whether  Mickey 
would  prefer  a  green  or  a  pink  ribbon  upon 
his  egg,  when  the  rattle  of  a  delivery  wagon 
down  in  the  street  below,  diverted  her  at- 
tention. Not  a  very  loud  rattle,  it  is  true, 
because  the  street  was  smoothly  asphalted, 
but  rattle  enough  to  be  distinctly  heard  up 
in  Hope's  window.  Then  it  ceased  as  the 
wagon  drew  up  to  the  door,  and  the  driver 


240  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

ran  in  to  deliver  the  dessert  served  by  the 
caterer  Mrs.  Curtis  patronized. 

Scarcely  had  he  disappeared  within  the 
basement  door  with  his  ice  tub  than  a  horse's 
neigh,  sounded  high  and  clear. 

"Oh,  Miss  Forrester,  it  is  Billy  Mazetti 
calling  for  his  sugar!  Please  let  me  give  it 
to  him, "  cried  Hope  eagerly. 

"It  is  right  here,  'ready  and  a-waiting/ 
little  Lady  Bountiful,"  answered  the  nurse, 
taking  from  the  table  at  hand  a  little  package 
done  up  in  a  Japanese  napkin  and  tied  with  a 
yellow  ribbon.  As  the  window  was  low, 
Hope  could  lean  over  and  look  down  to  the 
sidewalk  as  Miss  Forrester  raised  the  sash. 

Down  below  was  a  splendid  big  dappled- 
gray  horse,  harnessed  to  the  caterer's  wagon. 
His  head  was  turned  a  trifle  sideways,  and 
raised  toward  Hope's  window,  as  neigh  after 
neigh  fluttered  through  the  wide  red  nostrils. 

"Fred's  a-coming,  little  Missie,"  called 
a  voice  from  below  as  the  driver  re-appeared. 
"So  heave  away,"  and  the  good-natured 


A  LITTLE    PENITENT  241 

young  man,  who  for  four  years  had  driven 
"  Billy, "  looked  up  to  Hope's  window  as  he 
smilingly  raised  his  hat  to  her. 

"Fred,  this  is  Billy's  Good  Friday  allow- 
ance. An  extra  lump,  please  tell  him.  Now 
hold  your  hat  and  I'll  drop  it  right  in."  The 
driver  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  sidewalk 
his  arms  upraised  holding  his  hat. 

Now  why  was  it  that  in  this  world  of  con- 
trary happenings  one  must  needs  have  popped 
up  just  at  that  moment?  But  it  did,  for  just 
as  Fred's  arms  were  upraised;  just  as  his 
whole  attention  was  centered  upon  catching 
the  little  package  of  sugar;  just  as  Hope 
dropped  that  package  down,  an  old  gentle- 
man, most  immaculate  in  frock  coat,  gold- 
headed  cane  and  silk  hat  elected  to  walk 
beneath  the  window,  blissfully  unconscious 
of  what  was  pending? 

The  little  package  of  sugar  which  Billy 
Mazetti  knew  would  be  forthcoming  that 
morning,  just  as  it  had  come  upon  hundreds 
of  other  mornings,  and  for  which  he  had 


242  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

learned  to  look  up  to  Hope's  window  and 
neigh,  was  dropped  at  the  precise  instant 
at  which  the  dapper  old  gentleman  passed  in 
front  of  Fred,  and  it  landed — alack!  not 
in  Fred's  hat,  but  plump  upon  the  top  of 
the  old  gentleman's  shining  silk  one! 

Kismet!  Could  circumstantial  evidence 
have  been  clearer?  The  old  gentleman  had 
not  been  aware  of  the  first  act  up  in  the 
window,  but  he  was  fully  aware  of  Fred's 
peculiar  position  as  he  approached  him, 
though  at  a  loss  to  account  for  it.  Indeed, 
it  would  never  have  occurred  to  him  to  try. 
The  one  fact  which  impressed  him  was  the 
impact  upon  his  cherished  head  gear,  and 
being  an  extremely  irascible  old  gentleman, 
he  instantly  took  the  law  into  his  own  hands. 
The  next  second  the  gold-headed  cane  de- 
scended upon  the  luckless  Fred  as  the  old 
gentleman  cried: 

"You  ruffianly  villain!       How  dare  you 
assault  me  in  this  manner?       I'll  have  the 


A  LITTLE    PENITENT  243 

law  upon  you!  It's  an  outrage!  It's  past 
belief!" 

There  are  situations  when  words  only  add 
fuel  to  the  flame  of  some  people's  wrath. 
This  was  one  of  them.  No  explanation 
could  possibly  have  pacified  the  victim  of 
Hope's  unlucky  aim.  Quick  to  realize  this, 
the  luckless  Fred  apologized,  helped  Mr. 
Pepper-pot  to  smooth  out  his  silk  hat  and 
his  temper;  to  restore  both  to  their  normal 
poise,  and  to  start  him  upon  his  way.  That 
done  he  promptly  doubled  up  in  fits  of 
laughter  to  Billy  Mazetti's  complete  bewil- 
derment, for  during  all  this  ridiculous  side 
show  Billy  had  kept  up  a  continual  bubble 
of  subdued  whinneys  for  his  sugar.  When 
Fred  had  recovered  from  his  convulsions, 
Billy's  Good  Friday  allowance  of  four  lumps 
were  fed  to  him.  Then  Fred  sprang  upon 
his  wagon,  waved  a  laughing  good-by  to  the 
two  laughing  faces  in  the  window  and  went 
upon  his  way. 

"Oh,  Miss  Forrester,  wasn't  it  perfectly 


244  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

dreadful?"  cried  Hope,  still  in  spasms  of 
laughter  at  her  mishap.  "Poor  old  gentle- 
man, I  wouldn't  have  had  it  happen  for 
worlds.  And  he  gave  Fred  such  a  drubbing. 
We  shall  never  hear  the  last  of  that  caper 
if  Daddy  and  Raymond  learn  of  it,  and  it  is 
so  ridiculous  that  I've  got  to  tell  them." 

Then  the  work  of  wrapping  the  Easter 
parcels  was  resumed.  Half  an  hour  passed 
and  then  Mrs.  Curtis  returned  bringing  Hope 
news  of  the  children  at  the  Sanctuary.  She 
was  relating  an  episode  of  the  morning,  to 
which  Hope  was  listening  eagerly,  when  they 
heard  a  slight  sound  in  the  doorway.  Think- 
it  must  be  Miss  Forrester  who  had  left  the 
room  but  a  few  minutes  before,  neither 
glanced  up. 

Then  a  little  sob  fell  upon  their  ears.  Both 
started.  In  the  middle  of  the  floor  stood 
Beatrice,  tears  pouring  from  her  eyes,  sobs 
almost  choking  her,  the  very  personification 
of  woe. 
Mrs.  Curtis  turned  as  white  as  Hope's 


A  LITTLE    PENITENT  245 

pillows  and  rose  to  her  feet.  Hope  was 
speechless  with  surprise.  The  next  moment 
Beatrice  had  cast  herself  upon  Mrs.  Curtis 
in  a  perfect  passion  of  tears. 

Mrs.  Curtis  was  too  entirely  a  mother 
not  to  respond  to  this.  Whatever  her  own 
feeling,  this  little  child  was  certainly  in  deep, 
deep  distress.  Placing  her  arms  about  her 
she  said  gently: 

"Beatrice,  my  little  girl,  what  is  it?  Try 
to  control  yourself  and  tell  me." 

"I-I-I-can't  live  like  this  any  longer.  I 
killed  Hope  and  you-you-hate  me  and  won't 
let  me  see  her  any  more,  and  I  can't  c-c-an't 
stand  it.  I  asked  Mo-mo-mother  to  let  me 
come  and  see  Hope  on  Easter  Sunday  be- 
cause it  will  be  her  birthday,  but-but-she- 
she-said  'No!' — just  like  that — 'No!1  and  told 
me  I  was  the  worst  child  that  ever  lived,  and 
she-she-di-di-didn't  see  why  she  had  to  be 
afflicted  with  such  a  trial  when  other  people 
had  decent  children.  That  I  could  never, 
never,  see  Hope  or  you  again.  Then  I  cried 


246  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

and  she  shook  me,  and  gave  me  a  push,  and 
I  fell  over  a  footstool  and  cut  me  here  and 
got  all  black  and  blue.  See?"  and  poor, 
little,  misused  Beatrice  drew  up  her  sleeve 
to  show  a  bruised  little  arm,  and  pointed 
to  an  ugly  cut  upon  her  forehead.  Hope's 
gasp  of  dismay  that  such  things  could  be  was 
eloquent.  Mrs.  Curtis  resumed  her  seat  and 
drew  the  sobbing  child  upon  her  lap,  all 
resentment  forgotten  in  an  ineffable  pity. 
The  contrast  in  the  lives  of  the  two  children 
was  deeply  impressed  upon  her  and  its  lesson 
held  a  deep  meaning.  Poor  little,  reckless, 
undisciplined  Beatrice.  Was  it  surprising 
the  child  was  lawless  and  ungovernable? 

For  a  few  moments  Mrs.  Curtis  did  not  try 
to  check  the  sobs.  There  are  times  when 
Nature  must  find  a  safety  valve. 

In  the  course  of  a  short  time  the  convulsive 
sobs  lessened  in  violence  and  the  little  gypsy 
head  rested  quietly  upon  Mrs.  Curtis'  shoulder 
though  the  arms  still  tightly  clasped  her  neck. 
Presently  Mrs.  Curtis  gently  disengaged  them, 


A  LITTLE    PENITENT  247 

stroked  back  the  disheveled  hair  and  kissed 
the  hot  little  forehead,  as  she  asked: 

"Are  you  happier  now,  dear?" 

"Yes,  a  little,  though  I  can  never,  never 
be  truly  happy  again  unless  you  forgive  me 
for  killing  Hope,"  half  sobbed  the  penitent. 

"But  don't  you  see  that  you  did  not  kill 
me?"  asked  Hope,  half  amused,  yet  full  of 
pity.  "I  am  more  alive  than  I've  ever  been 
and  I  am  getting  stronger  every  day.  Am 
1  not,  Mother?" 

"Is  she  really?"  asked  Beatrice  skepti- 
cally. "You  know  I've  never  seen  her 
since — since  that  day,  though  I  have  begged 
so  hard  to,  but  Mother  wouldn't  let  me  even 
come  to  ask.  She  said  if  she  wasn't  dead 
yet  she  would  be  soon  anyway,  and  nobody 
would  ever  forgive  me.  And  she  said  you 
and  Raymond  hated  me,  and  would  always 
hate  me,"  and  here  more  sobs  rose  to  stop 
the  words.  Mrs.  Curtis  felt  indignant  that 
so  little  judgment  had  been  shown  in  dealing 
with  this  impetuous  little  being. 


248  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"Dear,  listen  to  me,"  she  said,  "you  can 
see  for  yourself  that  Hope  is  really  much 
stronger  and  better.  Now  we  will  sit  here 
together  and  talk  it  all  over  quietly,  for  per- 
haps I  have  need  to  ask  your  forgiveness  as 
well  as  you  to  ask  mine.  I  have  felt  very 
harshly  toward  you,  little  girl,  and  I  am  very 
sorry  I  permitted  myself  to  do  so.  I  should 
have  tried  to  understand.  But  now  we  will 
have  a  quiet  little  talk  and  set  all  straight. 
Sit  here  between  Hope  and  me  and  take  her 
hand  in  yours.  Then  you  will  understand 
that  she  is  really  better  and  stronger. " 

Beatrice  cuddled  down  upon  the  hassock 
at  Mrs.  Curtis'  feet  and  Hope  took  the  small 
hand  in  both  her  own. 

For  half  an  hour  Mrs.  Curtis  talked  as  only 
Mrs.  Curtis  could.  Quietly,  gently,  seriously, 
Beatrice's  great  eager  eyes  never  left  hers, 
and  no  word  was  missed. 

"And  do  you  now  understand,  dear,  that 
what  we  felt  to  be  such  a  terrible  calamity  at 
the  time  may  have  been  God's  way  of  bringing 


A  LITTLE    PENITENT  249 

about  much  better  things,  and  He  chose  you 
as  his  instrument?" 

"Me?  God  made  me  see  that  owl  and 
holler  right  out  so  Hope  could  be  pitched  out 
on  that  rock  and  most  killed?  Oh,  He 
couldn't!  He  wouldn't!" 

"Dr.  — said  Hope  could  never  be 

well  unless  she  received  some  severe  shock, 
dear.  You  may  not  be  able  to  understand 
this  now,  but  I  think  you  will  some  day.  And 
how  could  we  know  what  it  must  be,  or  how 
brought  about?  And  even  had  we  known  could 
we  have  deliberately  caused  it?  That  would 
have  been  too  hard.  So  He  chose  His  own 
way,  and  used  you.  For  a  long,  long  time 
it  made  us  feel  very  harshly  toward  you,  for 
we  were  like  little  children  ourselves  and 
couldn't  understand,  Mr.  Curtis  and  I, 
though  Hope  has  never  ceased  to  love  you, 
and  has  more  than  once  asked  to  see  you. 
She  also  asked  me  to  forgive  you.  Perhaps 
if  you  had  not  come  here  today  I  should  still 
be  unyielding.  I  am  glad  you  came,  because 


250  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

I  think  we  need  each  other's  forgiveness  and 
to  begin  all  anew  for  the  dear  Easter  Day. 
This  is  our  atonement?" 

As  Mrs.  Curtis  ceased  speaking  Beatrice 
scrambled  to  her  feet  to  again  clasp  her  arms 
about  her. 

"Then  you  do  forgive  me?  You  do;  you 
will  let  me  come  to  see  you  and  Hope?  I  love 
you  both  so  hard." 

"Yes,  you  may  come,  dear,  but  try  to  be 
very  gentle  when  you  are  with  Hope,  you 
know  she  is  not  like  you. " 

"I  will!  I  will!  And  I  want  to  kiss  her 
and  be  friends  forever  and  ever.  May  I?" 

For  answer  Hope  held  out  her  arms  and 
poor  little  Beatrice  nestled  into  them  with  a 
degree  of  gentleness  rarely  seen  in  the  little 
madcap's  motions. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

EASTER 

"O  Almighty  Lord,  and  everlasting  God, 
vouchsafe,  we  beseech  thee,  to  direct,  sanc- 
tify, and  govern,  both  our  hearts  and  bodies, 
in  the  ways  of  thy  laws,  and  in  the  works  of 
thy  commandments;  that,  through  Thy 
most  mighty  protection,  both  here  and  ever, 
we  may  be  preserved  in  body  and  soul; 
through  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. " 

How  graciously  the  sunlight  poured  through 
the  western  window  of  Ruhevoll  as  those  words 
were  spoken,  flooding  the  beautiful  room  with 
its  light,  and  falling  upon  the  child  reclining 
upon  her  silken  draped  couch.  What  a  pic- 
ture that  room  presented  that  Easter-even. 
Perhaps  its  parallel  could  not  have  been 


252  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

found  in  the  whole  great  city;  possibly  not 
in  the  whole  wide  world. 

Always  the  retreat  of  peace,  tranquility 
and  harmony,  as  its  name  implied,  today  it 
was  the  sanctuary  of  Charity,  Hope  and 
Divine  Trust.  For  this  day's  Sacrament  it 
had  been  transformed  into  a  chapel. 

Banking  the  fireplace  were  pots  of  tall 
Easter  lilies  arranged  to  form  an  altar,  in 
front  of  which  stood  a  white-draped  table. 
On  every  side  were  pots  or  jardenieres  of  lilies, 
spirea,  hyacinths,  roses,  all  of  purest  white, 
as  were  all  the  draperies  in  the  room. 

Hope's  couch  stood  in  front  of  the  table, 
its  cover  and  cushions  of  the  softest,  purest 
white  china  silk,  as  was  the  gown  she  wore. 
The  only  touch  of  color  was  her  own  golden- 
bronze  hair  falling  in  rich,  burnished  ringlets 
upon  her  cushions. 

By  the  table  stood  Bishop  Pendleton  in 
his  vestments,  his  face  a  benediction  as  he 
spoke  the  concluding  words  of  the  service, 
held  in  Ruhevoll  because  it  had  been  impos- 


EASTER  253 

sible  for  Hope  to  attend  the  confirmation 
service  in  St.  Stephen's  at  three  o'clock. 

Near  at  hand  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis, 
Miss  Forrester,  Miss  Woodward,  Lizette,  and, 
strange  incompatibility,  Saito. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  had  not  intended  that 
any  others  should  be  present  but  at  the  last 
moment  Hope  had  said: 

"  Mother,  may  I  have  with  me  those  I  love 
best?" 

"Others  besides  Father  and  myself, 
darling?"  asked  Mrs.  Curtis  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  I  would  like  to  have  Miss  Forrester, 
Miss  Woodward,  Lizette  and  Saito." 

"Saito!"  echoed  Mrs.  Curtis,  striving  to 
conceal  her  amazement  at  this  surprising 
request. 

"Yes,  because  I  love  them  so  dearly  and 
they  have  been  so  devoted  to  me.  Just 
think  how  long  Miss  Forrester  and  Miss 
Woodward  have  taken  care  of  me,  and 
Saito  has  been  so  good.  I  am  very  fond  of 
him,  Mother." 


254  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"Yes  dear,  I  know  you  are  fond  of  him, 
but — —  '  and  Mrs.  Curtis  hesitated.  The 
presence  of  this  man  seemed  so  incompatible 
with  the  occasion,  and  the  ritual. 

"You  think  he  will  not  understand,  Mother? 
He  may  not,  but  he  knows  it  all  concerns  me, 
and  that  will  mean  everything  to  him,  I 
know. " 

Consequently  Saito  was  present,  and  dur- 
ing the  entire  ceremony  his  expression  was 
absolutely  inscrutable. 

The  beautiful  service  ended  with  the  hymn : 

"I  have  no  help   but  Thine;  nor 

do  I  need 
Another  arm  save    Thine  to  lean 

upon; 
It  is  enough,   my  Lord,    enough 

indeed; 
My    strength   is  in   Thy   might, 

Thy  might  alone." 

sung  by  St.  Stephen's  choir  boys  who  had 
come  to  sing  for  the  little  invalid.       They 


EASTER  255 

stood  in  the  broad  lower  hall,  Mr.  Sands,  St. 
Stephen's  organist  and  choir-master,  at  the 
piano  which  had  been  moved  close  to  the 
music  room  door  in  order  that  Hope  might 
hear  distinctly. 

A  few  moments  after  the  service  ended 
Saito  and  Lizette  slipped  away.  Miss  For- 
rester and  Miss  Woodward  after  speaking  some 
words  of  endearment  to  Hope  retired  to  their 
rooms,  and  the  good  Bishop  said  farewell. 
Then  Mrs.  Curtis  asked: 

"  Shall  Father  and  I  sit  with  you  for  a  little 
while,  dear?" 

Mr.  Curtis  bent  to  stroke  the  golden  curls. 
Somehow,  words  would  not  come  to  his  lips, 
and  his  eyes  were  troublesome. 

"  Mother,  will  you  mind  if  1  ask  to  be  left 
alone  for  a  little  time?  I  don't  feel  like 
talking  just  now,  but  1  have  so  much  to 
think  about.  So  much.  If  you  will  roll 
my  couch  into  the  window,  and  draw  the  green 
shades  a  little  to  soften  the  light,  I  think  I 
shall  just  lie  here  and  think  and  rest.  I  am 


256  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

a  little  bit  tired,  Mother,  dear.  Shall  you 
mind?" 

For  reply  Mrs.  Curtis  bent  and  kissed  the 
lovely  face  smiling  up  at  her  but  only  said: 

"  Mother's  precious  daughter,  it  shall  be 
as  you  wish/' 

Mr.  Curtis  rolled  the  couch  into  the  window 
as  Mrs.  Curtis  lowered  the  shades.  Then 
bending  over  gathered  his  treasure  into  his 
arms.  Hope  nestled  to  him,  but  neither 
spoke.  There  was  no  need  of  words.  With 
more  than  one  backward  glance  at  the  little 
form  upon  the  couch  in  its  flower  embowered 
window,  they  left  the  room.  Perhaps  such 
another  hour  could  never  again  come  into 
their  lives. 

How  silent,  how  peaceful  was  the  room  in 
which  lay  the  little  girl  who  had  within  that 
hour  taken  her  first  communion.  In  her  own 
window  the  light  was  softened  by  the  lowered 
shades,  but  through  the  soft  hangings  of  the 
western  casement  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun 
fell  aslant.  Through  the  closed  windows, 


EASTER  257 

for  this  Easter  day  fell  too  early  in  the  season 
to  admit  of  raised  sashes,  the  vesper  chimes 
of  St.  Stephen's  called  all  to  evensong. 
Presently  the  subdued  strains  of  the  great 
organ  and  the  eventide  anthem  fell  soothingly 
upon  Hope's  ears.  Was  it  the  result  of  the 
day's  excitement,  or  the  tranquilizing  in- 
fluence of  the  hour  which  caused  her  to  drift 
away,  and  away  into  a  world  of  unreality? 
When  the  pure,  lovely  spirit  seemed  released 
from  the  body  which  had  known  so  much 
pain  and  suffering. 

Who  shall  answer  that  question?  Perhaps 
all  conditions  combined  to  bring  about  the 
result.  Hope  never  knew,  nor  did  she  ever 
question.  She  was  only  conscious  that  after 
lying  quietly  upon  her  couch  for  a  time,  her 
thoughts  dwelling  upon  the  beautiful  ex- 
periences of  the  past  hour,  her  heart  was  filled 
with  the  deepest,  tenderest  emotions,  her 
soul  with  reverential  awe.  She  forgot  the 
real  world  around  her,  forgot  her  physical 
disability,  and  seemed,  as  she  lay  there,  to 


258  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

grow  stronger  and  vigorous,  as  other  children. 
There  was  no   continuity  of  thought;  it 
was  just  a  succession  of  mental  pictures  and 
impressions,  in  which  the  strains  of, 

"The  soft  summer  breeze  plays  around  me, 
The  birds  trill  their  eventide  song," 

from  St.  Stephen's  emphasized  the  enchant- 
ment of  the  hour. 

Gradually  the  eyelids  fell  lower  and  lower, 
the  breathing  grew  softer,  quieter,  more 
regular,  and  Hope  slept.  Gently,  monoto- 
nously the  moments  were  ticked  away  by 
the  pretty  clock  upon  the  mantel.  Five- 
thirty  was  intoned  by  its  cathedral  chimes. 
Not  a  sound  disturbed  the  silence  of  the 
house,  for  Mrs.  Curtis  had  asked  Miss  For- 
rester to  see  that  none  approached  Ruhevoll 
until  Hope's  little  bell  tinkled  its  summons. 

As  her  eyelids  drooped  lower  and  lower, 
Hope's  eyes  had  rested  upon  the  picture  above 
her  couch,  where  the  figure  of  the  Christ  seemed 
to  smile  upon  her.  Then  a  soft  radiance 


EASTER  259 

filled  the  room  and  He  seemed  to  move 
toward  her.  The  wonderful  light  fell  all  about 
her,  exerting  a  strange,  exhilarating  influence, 
imbuing  her  with  new  life,  renewed  strength. 
Then  a  gentle  voice  seemed  to  call: 

"Hope,"  she  answered:  "Yes,"  and  rose 
to  a  sitting  position,  one  hand  resting  upon 
her  pillows,  the  other  held  forth  as  though 
expecting  it  to  be  taken. 

And  in  this  strange  vision  that  shining 
figure  seemed  to  stand  beside  her  couch,  and 
gently  clasp  in  His  own  the  hand  she  held 
toward  him  as  he  again  called  her  by  name, 
and  smiled  as  her  name  fell  from  his  lips, 
and  oh,  the  tenderness,  the  pity,  the  sweet- 
ness of  that  smile. 

"Is  it  the  promise?"  she  asked  with  an 
answering  smile. 

The  beautiful  head  inclined  "Yes."  The 
gentle  eyes  were  fixed  upon  hers. 

"How  soon?  O  how  soon?"  was  her 
eager  whisper. 

"Within  the  time  of  thy  desire.        Thy 


260  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

name  shall  be  realized.  Thy  faith  also. 
Charity  thou  already  knowest.  It  is  the 
greatest  of  the  three. " 

For  a  moment  his  hand  rested  upon  her 
head,  then  his  gentle  voice  breathed,  "Peace," 
as  he  receded  toward  the  sunlit  window,  the 
white  raiment  which  fell  about  him  seeming 
to  mingle  with  the  luminous  background, 
until  all  outline  faded  and  the  shining  figure 
was  lost  in  the  glory  of  the  sun's  declining 
rays. 

"Come  back,  oh,  come  back!"  begged 
Hope,  holding  forth  both  hands  in  supplica- 
tion, as  with  a  start  she  wakened  to  find 
herself  standing  beside  her  couch,  her  arms 
outstretched. 

For  one  thrilling  moment  she  stood  there 
hardly  knowing  whether  she  were  awake, 
or  still  dreaming.  Then  as  she  realized  the 
truth,  she  uttered  a  little  stifled  cry  and  fell 
back  upon  her  couch  weak  and  trembling. 
Without  aid,  without  even  voluntary  im- 
pulse she  had  risen  from  that  couch  and  stood 


EASTER  261 

alone.  It  was  the  thrilling  ecstasy  of  the 
little  child  who  first  discovers  its  power  to 
stand  unaided,  but  the  emotion  was  intensi- 
fied a  thousand  fold.  She  did  not  hear  a 
stifled  cry  at  her  door,  nor  rapidly  receding, 
though  light  footfalls. 

Covering  her  face  with  both  hands  she 
murmured : 

"What  was  it?  Oh,  what  was  it?  A  dream? 
A  vision?  Could  a  dream  be  so  real?" 

She  looked  toward  the  picture  hanging 
above  her  bed.  Yes,  it  was  the  same  gentle, 
tender  pitying  face  she  had  seen  beside  her 
but  a  moment  before.  The  same  attitude 
of  benediction.  "And  he  said:  'Within 
the  time  of  thy  desire.'  Oh,  Raymond, 
dear,  dear  brother,  to  be  strong  enough  to 
see  you  graduate!  To  see  the  diploma  placed 
in  your  hands!  To  know  that  you  are  to 
serve  the  dear  flag  as  you  will  surely  serve 
it,  for  God  and  Country.  That,  tJiat  is  the 
time  of  my  desire."  A  little  sob  ended  the 
words  and  Hope  buried  her  face  in  her  pil- 


262  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

low.  Not  for  a  thousand  worlds  would  she 
have  that  sound  reach  beyond  the  walls  of 
Ruhevoll.  This  was  a  day  of  Faith,  Hope 
and  Charity.  Of  peace  and  promise.  The 
sobs  ceased.  An  inexpressible  sense  of  peace 
and  content  encompassed  her.  Then  with  a 
soft  sigh  the  words  "In  the  time  of  thy  de- 
sire" were  softly  repeated,  and  sleep,  deep 
and  refreshing  brought  oblivion. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

WHY   SAITO   FAILED 

More  a  than  month  had  passed  since  tha\ 
Easter  Day  which  held  such  wondrous  ex- 
periences for  Hope.  Strangely  enough  she 
had  not  spoken  of  them  to  anyone.  Again 
and  again  she  had  been  upon  the  point  of 
speaking  to  her  mother,  but  when  the  moment 
came  to  do  so  she  seemed  tongue-tied. 

What  was  the  reason  she  could  not  confide 
in  the  one  she  loved  best  and  trusted  most 
implicitly?  The  little  girl  reproached  her- 
self bitterly  in  secret,  but  still  this  unaccount- 
able reticence  bound  her. 

And  so  the  weeks  slipped  by,  Hope  gaining 
in  strength  and  cheeriness  with  each  suc- 
ceeding day. 

Then  one  morning  Dr. paid  his 

usual  weekly  visit,  bringing  with  him  in  his 


264  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

motor  car  something  which  caused  not  only 
Hope's  heart  to  bound  for  joy,  but  drew  from 
Mrs.  Curtis'  lips  a  little  cry,  as  she  clasped 
her  hands  at  sight  of  the  objects  which  Saito 
carried : 

A  pair  of  crutches. 

Could  it  be  possible?  Was  the  hip  suffi- 
ciently normal,  the  back  strong  enough  for 
Hope  to  venture  upon  crutches? 

Saito' s  hands  were  trembling  and  he  was 
strangely  agitated  as  he  stood  the  crutches 
near  Hope's  chair,  Dr.  — mean- 
while nodding  like  a  Chinese  mandarin,  and 
rubbing  his  hands  together,  a  broad,  satis- 
fied smile  upon  his  kind  face. 

"Now  little  Daisy  Maiden  we  shall  see! 
We  shall  see!"  he  cried,  seating  himself  beside 
her  and  taking  her  hand  in  both  his  own. 

"I've  brought  you  Mr.  Jig  and  Mr.  Jog 
and  I  expect  you  to  become  inseparable 
companions  until  some  other  young  lady 
needs  their  companionship  more  than  you 
do.  I've  an  idea  that  before  very  long  you 


WHY  SA1TO  FAILED  265 

will  have  none  of  them,  and  will  be  sending 
me  to  the  right-about  as  well,  in  spite  of  our 
eight-years'  friendship. " 

"Oh,  Dr.  —  ,  am  I  truly,  truly 

to  try  to  walk  on  crutches?  When  may  I? 
And  may  I  use  them  down-stairs  and  out 
doors  and  everywhere?"  cried  Hope,  the 
words  fairly  pouring  from  her  lips. 

"Hoity,  Toity,  Miss!  Is  this  the  way  you 
try  to  break  bounds  at  the  very  first  hint  of 
liberty?  Miss  Forrester,  come  here.  Pay 
heed:  Two  minutes  today,  three  minutes 
tomorrow — if  she  behaves  herself — four  min- 
utes the  next  day." 

"But  now,  Dr.  .  May  I  try 

right  now?  Please,  please  let  me,"  begged 
Hope. 

"What  do  you  say,  Mrs.  Curtis?  Shall 
I  start  her  off  with  Mr.  Jig  and  Mr.  Jog, 
while  I'm  upon  the  scene  to  keep  her  from 
attempting  any  wild  prancings?" 

"I  am  quite  as  eager  as  Hope,  Dr. 
— ,"  was  Mrs.  Curtis'  reply. 


266  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

"Well,  I  dare  say  I  shall  not  have  a  mo- 
ment's peace  until  you  are  launched  upon 
your  four-legged  journey.  So  now  for  it." 

With  Miss  Forrester  upon  one  side,  and 
Miss  Woodward  upon  the  other,  Hope  was 
assisted  upon  the  crutches.  The  first  essay 
at  using  them  was  an  awkward  one,  but 
presently  she  learned  "the  little  trick,"  as 
she  called  it,  and  bumped  her  way  across 
the  room.  After  a  moment's  rest  she  came 
back,  the  return  journey  being  much  more 
quickly  and  easily  accomplished. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  Hope's  little 
journeys  in  the  world:  A  world  with  a  very 
limited  horizon  it  is  true,  for  the  walls  of  her 
home  still  bounded  it,  save  for  short  drives 
along  the  Hudson  in  the  motor  car,  or  morn- 
ings spent  out  of  doors  in  the  secluded  side 
garden,  now  "all  a-blowing  and  a-growing" 
with  spring  flowers.  There  in  her  leafy 
bower  during  the  late  April  days  Hope  could 
rest  in  her  big  East  India  reclining  chair, 


WHY  SA1TO  FAILED  267 

or  make  little  excursions  upon  her  crutches 
along  the  smooth  concrete  paths. 

How  often  had  Mr.  Curtis  congratulated 
himself  upon  his  forethought  in  having  re- 
tained those  twenty  by  one-hundred  feet  of 
land,  for,  surely,  none  of  equal  proportions 
in  all  the  great  city  could  be  more  valuable 
in  the  returns  they  yielded  in  happiness  or 
revivifying  powers. 

After  their  return  from  abroad,  when  Hope 
seemed  to  be  gaining  steadily  and  the  pros- 
pect of  health  and  strength  was  more  promis- 
ing, Mr.  Curtis  had  installed  an  electric 
elevator  in  his  home,  thus  making  it  possible 
for  the  little  girl  to  change  from  floor  to  floor 
at  will  and  find  diversion  in  new  scenes,  even 
if  only  from  one  room  to  another.  What  even 
such  a  slight  change  means  to  an  invalid  who 
for  years  has  been  confined  to  one  floor,  only 
those  who  have  experienced  such  confinement 
can  appreciate.  To  Hope  it  held  a  thousand 
exciting  diversions. 

The  elevator,    a  smooth-running  electric 


268  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

one,  was  operated  by  buttons  which  started 
or  stopped  it  at  will.  The  delight  of  Hope's 
life  was  to  be  allowed  to  press  the  starting 
and  stopping  buttons,  and  her  happy  laugh 
at  the  response  invariably  brought  a  sympa- 
thetic smile  to  Miss  Forrester's  lips,  who 
often  said: 

"You  take  as  much  delight  in  your  elevator, 
dear,  as  Raymond  took  in  his  car  while  up 
at  the  Lake.  He  fairly  thrilled  when  he 
held  the  steering  wheel,  and  I  believe  you 
do  the  same  as  your  fingers  press  those 
buttons." 

"Of  course,  I  do!"  cried  Hope.  "There 
is  something  about  it  which  gives  one  such  a 
sense  of  power.  Just  a  little  push, — and 
away  I  go, — up  or  down, — as  I  choose.  Then 
another,  and  I  stop.  And  all  done  by  such 
a  tiny  electric  spark.  Oh,  I  wish  I  had  been 
a  boy  instead  of  a  girl.  I  know  I  could  have 
invented  something  wonderful.  Why,  Miss 
Forrester,  sometimes  I  dream  I  am  in  that 
elevator,  only  it  isn't  just  an  elevator  in  our 


WHY  SA1TO  FAILED  269 

house;  it  is  right  out-doors  and  carrying  me 
up,  up,  into  the  most  wonderful  places  you 
can  imagine  where  I  can  look  down  and  see 
everything  happening  in  the  world. " 

"You  are  surely  an  imaginative  little 
being.  But  don't  let  your  imagination 
carry  you  right  away  from  us  some  day. 
Keep  on  this  side  of  the  borderland  of  reality, 
honey,  for  we  can't  get  along  without  you," 
laughed  Miss  Forrester. 

"0  I'm  not  going  to  fly  away  in  my 
elevator.  You  need  not  worry  about  that, 
because  the  roof  is  a  very  strong  one  indeed, 
you  know.  But  I  do  like  to  feel  things  re- 
spond to  my  will.  Perhaps  I  get  my  love  of 
such  things  from  Daddy.  I  am  sure  he 
would  have  been  an  inventor  if  he  had  not 
been  a  patent  lawyer;  he  is  never  satisfied 
until  he  understands  every  little  thing  about 
the  inventions  for  which  he  secures  patents, 
you  know.  Why  I  heard  him  tell  mother 
only  a  few  days  ago  that  he  was  determined 
to  understand  all  about  one  of  the  most 


270  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

wonderful  inventions  which  has  ever  come 
under  his  notice,  and  for  which  he  has  just 
applied  for  a  patent.  Mother  was  begging 
him  not  to  wear  himself  out  over  it.  He 
has  been  sitting  up  until  all  hours  of  the  night 
pouring  over  some  papers  which  describe  it, 
and  she  says  he  will  be  ill  if  he  works  both  day 
and  night.  But  it  must  be  so  splendid  to 
have  such  brains." 

This  conversation  took  place  one  evening 
as  Miss  Forrester  was  settling  Hope  for  the 
night.  When  all  was  arranged  and  her 
charge  had  smuggled  down  upon  her  pillow 
waiting  for  Mrs.  Curtis  to  come  in  for  the 
good-night  caress,  Miss  Forrester  said: 

"Now  please  forget  your  beloved  ele- 
vator and  everything  else  and  journey  straight 
to  the  land  o'  Nod.  That  is  the  best  place 
for  a  young  lady  who  has  made  three  trips 
in  her  elevator  in  one  day,  pranced  all  over  a 
garden  upon  four  legs  instead  of  two,  and 
talked  like  a  run-away  phonograph  for  the 
past  hour. 


WHY  SAITO  FAILED  271 

An  hour  later  no  sound  but  Hope's  gentle 
breathing  was  audible  in  Ruhevoll  as  the  rosy 
light  of  the  Fairy  Lamp  cast  strange  shadows 
upon  the  walls,  and  beyond  in  the  sitting- 
room  the  little  clock  softly  chimed  the 
quarter  hours. 

Since  Hope's  condition  had  so  materially 
improved  Miss  Forrester  had  slept  in  her  own 
room  which  adjoined  Hope's.  Miss  Wood- 
ward's was  next,  all  rooms  communicating, 
thus  insuring  ceaseless  watchfulness  over  the 
invalid. 

The  little  clock  had  chimed,  oh,  ever  so 
softly  two  a.  m.,  the  tones  musical  as  dis- 
tant monastery  bells.  Not  a  sound  was  to 
be  heard  in  Ruhevoll.  Miss  Forrester  and 
Miss  Woodward,  with  no  thought  of  any  un- 
toward happenings,  slept  peacefully  in  their 
rooms.  Lizette  in  her  little  room  at  the  end 
of  the  corridor  heard  not  a  hint  of  a  sound. 
On  the  floor  below  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  had 
long  since  retired  to  their  rooms,  and  on  the 


272  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

main  floor  of  the  house  all  was  dark  and 
silent.    All? 

No.  In  the  library  the  shaded  desk  light 
was  so  turned  that  it  cast  a  small  circle  of 
light  upon  Mr.  Curtis'  desk  which  was  open, 
and  outspread  upon  it  was  a  paper  covered 
with  intricate  drawings,  and  minutely  written 
specifications.  Over  this  paper  bent  Saito, 
carefully  tracing  upon  impression  paper 
every  line  either  written  or  drawn,  visible 
through  its  transparency.  How  carefully, 
how  skillfully  the  long,  slender  fingers  worked. 
How  accurately  every  detail  was  copied. 
There  must  be  no  possible  error  in  this  piece 
of  work.  More  than  one  night  had  been  re- 
quired to  make  this  copy  of  the  great  inven- 
tion which  Mr.  Curtis  was  about  to  have 
patented  for  the  inventor,  and  which  would 
make  Lieutentant  Stoddard  famous,  for  no 
brain  had  heretofore  thought  of  such  a  device, 
yet  when  it  was  given  to  the  world  of  ordnance, 
Army  and  Naval  Officers  would  wonder 
why  so  simple  a  thing  had  not  been  thought 


WHY  SA1TO  FAILED  273 

of  long  before.  Yet  none  must  know  of  it 
until  the  patent  was  secured  safe  and  sound 
for  Uncle  Sam's  exclusive  use.  If  it  should 
become  known  to  other  countries  its  value 
would  be  gone,  for  then  they  too  would  be 
in  possession  of  as  valuable  a  discovery  as  the 
United  States,  and,  in  case  of  war,  could  play 
tit  for  tat. 

No,  it  must  be  kept  a  secret  and  for  months 
Mr.  Curtis  had  carefully  guarded  it.  These 
papers  had  never  been  in  the  hands  of  another 
living  soul,  but  the  inventor's  and  his  own, 
and  he  had  become  intensely  interested  in 
the  development  of  the  invention.  Each 
night  he  had  brought  the  papers  home  from 
his  office,  and  spent  many  hours  poring  over 
them,  invariably  locking  them  in  his  library 
safe  upon  retiring. 

Yet  with  all  his  care  and  precautions,  here 
they  lay  upon  his  open  desk,  the  safe  door 
also  open,  and  Saito,  the  trusted,  was  copying 
every  line  of  them,  while  those  who  trusted 


274  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

him  so  implicitly  slept  above  stairs.   What 
did  it  all  mean? 

How  rapidly  the  deft  fingers  worked.  The 
task  was  nearly  done.  Only  the  most  intri- 
cate portions,  those  most  vital  to  its  success, 
remained  to  be  traced  upon  the  impression 
paper.  Another  half-hour's  work  and  it 
would  be  completed.  Then  what  will  Saito 
do  with  it?  Ah,  that  is  the  vital  question. 

Out  in  the  broad  hall  the  big  clock  intoned 
two  full,  deep  chimes,  followed  by  two  softer, 
quicker  ones.  Two-thirty.  As  the  sounds 
died  away  there  was  the  faintest  suggestion 
of  a  sound.  Saito  was  too  absorbed  in  his 
task  to  notice  it.  It  was  only  a  little  click, 
anyway.  A  door-lock,  temporarily  caught, 
but  springing  back  into  place,  might  have 
caused  it.  One  often  hears  strange  creakings 
and  snappings  in  the  silent  hours  of  the  night. 
But  there  followed  another  faint  sound;  the 
almost  indescribable  one  of  light  silken  gar- 
ments brushing  against  something.  On  it 
came,  straight  toward  the  dark  library,  and 


WHY  SAITO  FAILED  275 

in  the  doorway,  ever  so  faintly  outlined  against 
the  deep  green  hangings  stood  a  little  figure 
with  head  upraised  in  a  listening  attitude, 
hands  outstretched  before  her,  as  though  to 
clasp  another's,  an  expectant  smile  curving 
the  lovely  lips.  The  eyes  were  wide  open 
but  though  looking  straight  ahead  evidently 
conveyed  to  her  brain  no  knowledge  of  her 
surroundings. 

Hope  was  in  the  land  of  dreams,  her  body 
involuntarily  obeying  the  sub-conscious  dic- 
tates of  her  brain.  In  her  sleep  she  was  doing 
what  in  her  waking  hours  no  one  would 
believe  possible.  The  crutches  are  beside 
her  bed  upstairs,  yet,  if  slow  and  cautious, 
there  was  no  hesitancy  in  her  steps  as  she 
moved  slowly  but  steadily  toward  her  father 's 
desk,  at  which  Saito  worked. 

The  light  falling  full  upon  the  white  paper 
cast  a  soft  radiance  from  it,  which  made 
objects  a  few  feet  from  the  desk  visible  and 
into  this  circle  Hope,  in  her  white  silken 
negligee,  her  curls  falling  all  about  her, 


276  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

stepped  without  a  sound.  Then  a  little  sigh 
breathed  from  the  lips.  Only  a  breath,  but 
had  the  gun  for  the  coast  defense  over  the 
drawings  of  which  Saito  had  been  pouring 
for  two  hours,  suddenly  become  the  object 
itself  and  fired  a  shot  then  and  there,  the 
effect  upon  the  little  Japanese  could  hardly 
have  been  more  overwhelming.  He  turned 
suddenly,  saw  the  little  figure  standing  before 
him,  uttered  just  one  word  "Hinohime!"  and 
fell  prone  at  Hope's  feet. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  SPIRIT  OF  HINOHIME 

We  must  turn  time  backward  for  an  hour. 
To  the  moment  when  Hope  began  to  live  in 
her  strange  dream  world  in  which  all  the 
happenings  of  the  day,  fragments  of  conversa- 
tion, the  things  which  she  had  seen  with  wak- 
ing eyes,  the  words  which  she  had  spoken  with 
conscious  thought,  were  jumbled,  as  things 
invariably  manage  to  jumble  themselves  in 
our  dreams.  But  most  dominant  of  all  were 
Miss  Forrester's  words.  "Don't  let  your 
imagination  carry  you  right  away  from  us." 

Somehow  she  was  possessed  of  an  uncon- 
trollable desire  to  be  carried  away,  and  the 
elevator  seemed  to  be  the  one  and  only  means 
of  carrying  her.  If  she  could  only  reach  it 
without  anyone's  knowledge,  and  press  those 
fascinating  buttons, surely  she  could  fly  away 


278  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

up,  up,  up,  as  she  had  so  often  dreamed  of 
doing,  and  in  spite  of  the  roof,  float  off  far 
above  the  world.  How  many,  many  times 
she  had  dreamed  that  she  was  gliding  along 
just  a  few  feet  above  the  ground,  moving 
thither  and  yonder  at  will,  almost  without 
effort,  and  moving  oh,  so  easily  and  delight- 
fully, wherever  she  chose  to  go,  but  always 
returning  to  dear  Ruhevoll.  No  crutches 
were  needed  in  those  dream-journeys.  No 
wheeled  chairs, — no  help. 

Real  and  more  real  became  the  dream,  until 
without  the  slightest  sound  she  arose  to  a 
sitting  position,  then — and  whence  this  mir- 
acle of  strength?  She  slipped  from  her  bed, 
thrust  her  feet  into  the  soft  white  wool  slip- 
pers which  were  always  beside  it,  drew  over 
her  night  dress  the  little  silken  negligee  which 
lay  upon  a  chair  at  hand,  and  stood  straight 
up.  Then  silently  as  a  spirit  she  made  her 
way  out  into  the  hall  and  a  moment  later  was 
in  her  elevator,  her  finger  pressing  the  button. 
She  had  meant  to  go  up,  but  some  irresistible 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  HINOHIME      279 

impulse  led  her  finger  to  the  button  labeled 
M.  F.,  and  the  noiseless  car  descended  to  the 
main  floor,  and  stopped.  The  lock  clicked 
and  the  door  slid  back,  and  Hope  glided  into 
the  hall.  Yes,  she  would  like  to  go  through 
those  rooms  before  she  took  her  flight  up,  up, 
up,  as  she  meant  to  do,  far  away  beyond  the 
real  world,  and  away  and  away  into  that 
mysterious  dream  world  with  which  she  was 
so  familiar,  but  which  no  one  else  seemed  to 
understand:  A  strange,  beautiful  world  in 
which  she  went  and  came  at  will,  free  from 
all  pain,  strong,  vigorous  and  never  weary. 

But  first  she  would  go  into  the  library,  the 
room  she  dearly  loved,  and  in  which  of  late, 
since  the  elevator  had  made  one  floor  as 
accessible  as  another,  she  had  spent  so  many 
happy  hours,  cuddled  in  the  big  cushioned 
chair  beside  "  Daddy  ",  as  he  read  aloud  to  her. 
Hope  glided  into  the  hall,  across  it  and  into 
the  library,  elated  and  happy  in  her  beautiful 
dream.  Then  suddenly  the  dream  changed. 
It  was  no  longer  the  library,  but  one  of  the 


280  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

strange  Japanese  temples  of  which  Saito  had 
so  often  told  her,  and  shown  her  wonderful 
pictures,  and  Saito  himself  was  here  bowing 
before  one  of  the  curious  shrines,  a  shrine 
which  seemed  to  strangely  resemble  her 
father's  desk.  Oh,  it  was  most  confusing. 

Then  came  the  sharp  cry  of: 

"Hinohime!"  and  Hope  wakened  to  find 
Saito  prone  before  her. 

It  is  said  that  a  sudden  awakening  some- 
times proves  fatal  to  somnambulists.  Why  it 
did  not  so  prove  to  Hope  only  the  Great 
Power  which  guided  the  little  girl  knows. 

With  a  faint  cry  she  stood  as  though  petri- 
fied, her  hands  still  outstretched  over  Saito. 
Then  the  force  and  will  of  the  generations 
preceding  her  sprung  to  meet  the  test,  and 
Hope  recovered  herself,  recognized  her  sur- 
roundings and  the  form  at  her  feet. 

She  did  not  sway  or  tremble,  but  said  quite 
steadily : 

"  Saito,  have  I  frightened  you?  I  have 
walked  in  my  sleep.  I  did  not  know  I  could 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  HINOH1ME      281 

walk  without  my  crutches.  Perhaps  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  now  I  am  wide  awake.  Get 
up  please,  and  take  my  hand." 

Perfectly  simple,  matter-of-fact  words,  yet 
apparently  unintelligible  to  the  man  who  con- 
tinued to  murmur  "Hinohime,  Hinohime," 
and  other  words  in  his  own  tongue. 

"Saito!"  the  command  was  more  peremp- 
tory. "Are  you  too  startled  to  hear  what  I 
am  saying?  I  need  your  help." 

Then  habit  conquered.  Saito  rose  to  his 
knees,  his  hands  clasped  in  supplication 
though  terror  and  incredulity  still  filled  his 
eyes. 

Hope  smiled. 

"  I  did  not  think  I  could  play  ghost  so  well, 
Saito.  I  am  really  Hope.  See?  Take  my 
hand  and  lead  me  to  a  chair." 

Without  a  word  Saito  rose  and  did  as  bid- 
den. Hope  stepped  toward  her  father's  chair, 
that  one  being  nearest.  And  then  her  eyes 
fell  upon  the  papers  spread  upon  his  desk.  For 
a  moment  the  significance  of  it  all  failed  to 


282  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

impress  her.  Then,  in  a  flash,  came  the 
revelation :  The  papers  which  her  father  had 
so  guarded,  which  held  the  secret  of  the  great 
invention  of  which  he  alone  had  the  knowledge 
and  which  had  been  intrusted  to  his  care, 
were  lying  there  upon  his  desk.  What  did 
it  all  mean?  Saito  had  not  spoken  one  word. 

Just  then  the  hall  clock  chimed,  two — three. 
Hope  started.  Was  that  the  hour?  Turn- 
ing her  great  brown  eyes  upon  Saito  she  said : 

"Saito,  what  are  father's  papers  doing  here, 
and  why  are  you  here  at  this  hour  of  the 
night?  I  cannot  understand  it.  Did  he  for- 
get to  put  them  away,  and  are  you  doing  so 
for  him?  You  are  always  so  thoughtful  for 


us." 


A  strange  change  passed  over  Saito's  face. 
Then  he  looked  at  her  as  though  he  were 
endeavoring  to  discover  whether  she  were 
speaking  frankly,  or  her  words  held  a  double 
meaning?  Hope  continued  to  look  at  him 
with  that  steady,  questioning  gaze.  He 
seemed  to  have  become  dumb. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  H1NOH1ME      283 

She  laid  her  hand  upon  his  arm,  saying: 
"Saito,  I  am  sorry  I  startled  you  so.  I 
was  terribly  frightened  when  I  first  woke  up 
and  found  myself  here,  but  as  soon  as  I  was 
wide  awake  and  saw  you  I  knew  I  was  safe. 
You  have  always  taken  care  of  me,  and  you 
once  saved  my  life,  you  know.  That  is  why 
Daddy  and  Mother  love  you.  But  I  am  sure 
he  would  feel  terribly  distressed  to  know  he 
had  forgotten  to  put  away  these  papers.  I 
can't  think  how  he  came  to  do  so.  Was  he 
called  away  from  his  desk?  Let  us  lock  them 
in  it,  and  then  please  help  me  upstairs.  I 
must  get  back  to  my  room  before  they  miss 
me.  It  would  terrify  them  so,  and  Mother 
would  be  so  worried." 

She  had  turned  to  gather  up  the  papers 
when  her  eyes  fell  upon  the  tracing  paper 
duplicates,  with  the  Japanese  characters 
traced  upon  their  margins,  and,  child  that  she 
was,  a  strange  quiver  of  apprehension  passed 
over  her;  her  first  intuition  that  there  must 
be  something  more  to  all  this  than  she  had 


284  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

at  first  understood.  And  Saito's  silence  was 
most  incomprehensible  of  all.  Not  a  word 
had  passed  his  lips  since  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"Saito,  speak  to  me,"  commanded  Hope, 
trembling  slightly. 

Then  Saito  spoke.  Not  in  his  strange 
broken  dialect,  and  almost  incomprehensible 
English,  which  she  had  always  heard  from  his 
lips;  the  odd  phraseology  and  pronunciation 
of  the  Japanese  lower  classes  who  pick  up 
English  from  the  foreign  visitors  to  their 
land,  but  the  clear,  correct  English  of  the 
highly  educated  Japanese  gentleman.  And 
yet,  through  all  the  rush  of  words  wiiich  fol- 
lowed, ran  his  lingering  faith  in  his  own 
religion;  the  belief  in  the  faith  of  his  fore- 
fathers. 

"Yes.  Yes,  I  will  speak.  It  is  so  ordered 
by  the  gods.  When  I  came,  long  ago,  I  be- 
lieved the  gods  had  sent  you  here  to  guard 
and  help  me  to  perform  my  duty.  To  help 
me  carry  out  the  orders  of  my  superiors. 
Never  mind  who  they  are;  that  does  not  mat- 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  HINOHIME      285 

ter.  I  believed  you  to  be  the  spirit  of 
Hinohime,  our  Princess  of  the  Sun,  who,  at 
will,  may  take  any  form  in  order  to  aid  mortals. 
It  may  still  be  so.  I  do  not  know.  When  you 
glided  in  upon  me  just  now  I  was  sure,  but 
you  are  of  the  West  and  can  not  understand. 
I  am  of  the  East.  I  was  ordered  to  your 
father's  house  to  watch,  to  wait  for  months, 
if  necessary,  but  to  succeed  at  last.  That  you 
can  understand,  though  you  are  a  child.  In 
Japan  you  would  be  considered  almost  a 
woman.  I  was  ordered  to  watch,  yes,  watch 
closely,  and  to  learn  all  I  could  about  this 
great  invention;  to  tell,  or  write  of  it  to  one 
high  in  power  in  Japan.  For  this  I  would 
receive  great  honor.  I  came.  I  found  you, 
my  Hinohime.  You  told  me  many  things, — 
strange,  strange,  things, — which  have  come 
true.  The  cardinal  bird  came  to  your  window 
with  the  message.  You  said  it  was  merely 
a  bird.  I  believe  it  to  have  been  the  spirit 
of  our  great  god  Shaka,  and  I  looked  upon  you 
as  he  spoke  to  you,  but  you  did  not 


286  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

know  it.  Again  I  looked  upon  you 
when  you  rose  from  your  couch  last  Easter 
day.  Nor  were  you  aware  of  that  either. 
What  vision  came  then?  That  I  cannot  tell. 
Was  it  my  god  Shaka,  or  your  Christ  who 
worked  that  wonderful  miracle  and  is  still 
working?  You  have  grown  steadily  stronger, 
and  tonight  you  walk  unaided.  You  have 
walked  into  my  presence  at  the  critical  mo- 
ment. I  have  nearly  accomplished  the  work 
for  which  I  have  waited  patiently,  and  played 
my  part  for  months.  Have  you  come  to  bid 
me  complete  it?  Are  you  here  as  my  guardian 
spirit,  who  aids  my  endeavors  to  serve  Japan? 
Are  you,  indeed,  the  spirit  of  Hinohime,  sent 
by  my  gods  to  aid  me?  Or  are  you  the  human 
child  whom  all  here  believe  you  to  be?  And  if 
so,  why  are  you  guided  to  me  in  your  sleep?  " 
Saito  paused.  Hope  had  followed  every 
word.  Was  this  part  of  the  strange  thought 
medley  which  had  been  running  so  madly 
through  her  brain  ever  since  she  laid  her  head 
upon  her  pillow?  A  little  shudder  passed 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  H1NOHIME      287 

over  her.  Saito  caught  up  an  afghan  from  a 
couch  close  at  hand  and  laid  it  about  her 
shoulders,  his  self-possession  again  restored. 

"I  am  not  cold,  Saito,  but  I  don't  quite 
understand  yet.  You  were  copying  father's 
papers?" 

"I  was.  I  had  nearly  completed  the  work. 
Another  hour  and  the  copy  would  have  been 
mailed  to  my  chief  at  Washington." 

"And  what  then?" 

"My  government  would  also  be  in  posses- 
sion of  this  great  discovery,  and  could  make 
use  of  it  in  case  of  war  with  another  country." 

"But  it  would  not  be  theirs  to  make  use  of. 
They  would  have  no  right  to  do  so.  An 
American  officer  made  this  great  discovery, 
after  months  and  years  of  thought  and  work. 
He  has  placed  it  in  my  father's  hands  to  be 
patented.  It  belongs  to  him  and  to  his 
country.  No  one  else  has  any  right  to  use 
what  his  brains  have  thought  out  and  planned. 
And  the  invention  is  in  my  father's  charge. 
He  would  be  dishonored  if  through  his  care- 


288  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

lessness  it  fell  into  other  hands.  Do  you 
understand  this,  Saito?" 

Saito  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  made  an 
odd  little  flutter  with  his  hands.  Then  he 
said: 

"The  honor  will  go  to  the  one  who  is 
cleverest.  If  /  succeed  and  he  fails,  the 
honor  from  my  own  country  comes  to  me. 
I  shall  be  advanced,  exalted." 

A  swift  change  passed  over  Hope's  face. 

"And  is  this  your  idea  of  honor?  /  should 
call  it  dishonor.  Yes,  disgrace.  To  steal 
something  which  belongs  to  another;  to  get 
possession  of  it  by  trickery.  Is  this  why  you 
have  been  so  devoted  to  me?  Is  this  why  you 
have  lived  in  our  home  and  served  us  as  our 
butler?  Only  to  bring  disgrace  to  those  who 
have  trusted  you,  and  loved  you  because  you 
have  been  so  kind  to  me?  And  I  have  thought 
you  loved  me  and  served  me  because  I  was  ill 
and  helpless."  She  paused  and  shrank  away 
from  him.  He  clasped  his  hands  and 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  H1NOH1ME      289 

took  one  step  toward  her.  Her  raised  hand 
stayed  him. 

"  No.  Stop,  please.  I  am  only  a  child,  and 
perhaps  I  do  not  understand  as  I  should,  but 
I  have  loved  and  trusted  you,  Saito.  I 
would  not  have  believed,  or  understood  all 
this  if  some  one  had  told  me  of  it.  You  were 
so  good,  so  good  to  me  always.  Always  so 
thoughtful  in  every  way.  You  have  done  so 
much  to  make  me  happy.  And  then,  up  at 
the  lake,  you  were  the  first  to  come  to  my 
rescue,  and  now  I  must  lose  all  faith  in  you,  I 
don't  know  how  to  think  of  you  in  that  way. 

O  it  hurts  me  so!  It  hurts  me  terribly,  for 
I  can  not  bear  to  distrust  those  I've  learned 
to  love,"  and  laying  her  arms  upon  her  father's 
desk  Hope  dropped  her  face  upon  them  and 
burst  into  tears. 

Perhaps  nothing  she  could  have  done  would 
have  so  moved  Saito.  During  the  three 
years  he  had  spent  in  America  he  had  imbibed 
enough  of  American  ideas,  and  the  American 
view-point,  to  realize  what  such  an  outbreak 


290  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

meant  to  an  American  child,  and  especially 
such  a  child  as  Hope,  to  whom  tears  were 
almost  unknown;  who  was  sheltered  from 
every  pain,  protected  from  every  sorrow,  or 
disappointment  if  such  protection  lay  within 
the  power  of  those  who  loved  and  cared  for 
her  so  tenderly.  From  the  moment  he  had 
entered  her  home  this  had  been  impressed 
upon  him  in  a  thousand  ways.  Even  Michael 
would  have  submitted  to  tortures  rather  than 
cause  the  little  Daisy  Maiden  a  moment's 
unhappiness.  And  now  he,  Saito,  who  had 
grown  to  love  this  little  girl  with  a  love  border- 
ing upon  a  superstitious  worship,  had  reduced 
her  to  tears.  What  a  conflict  raged  in  his 
half  Oriental,  half  Anglicized  mind.  One  in- 
stant she  was  the  little  daughter  of  the  house, 
from  whom  he  had  ever  known  the  utmost 
consideration,  the  sweetest  courtesy.  Who 
had  shown  her  affection  for  her  father's  servant 
in  a  hundred  ways.  Then  came  the  old 
Oriental  faith  in  his  gods  and  their  limitless 
power.  The  mercy  of  the  Sun  Goddess.  Her 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  H1NOH1ME      291 

protection  of  the  elect,  and  he  dropped  upon 
his  knees,  his  hands  raised  in  supplication, 
but  his  head  bowed  as  he  murmured: 

"Command  me.     I  await  thy  word,  but 
my  heart  is  torn  asunder." 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE   PROMISE    IS   FULFILLED 

Hope  raised  her  head,  drew  her  hands 
across  her  eyes  and  looked  at  him  as  though 
she  hardly  comprehended  his  words.  Then 
she  said : 

"Saito,  I  fear  this  is  all  too  serious,  too 
important  a  matter  for  me  to  decide,  for  I  can- 
not understand  it  all.  Part  of  it  I  can  under- 
stand, of  course,  but  what  ought  to  be  done  I 
hardly  know.  I  am  so  bewildered,  I  only 
know  that  what  you  have  been  trying  to  do, 
what  you  have  nearly  succeeded  in  doing, 
must  not  be  done.  Yet  how  can  I  prevent 
you  from  completing  it  if  you  wish  to?  You 
believe  you  are  doing  right  when  you  so  serve 
your  country,  and  send  these  papers  to  your 
government.  I  have  been  taught  to  despise 
a  lie,  whether  spoken  or  acted,  and  this  is  far 


THE  PROMISE  IS  FULFILLED    293 

worse  than  a  lie;  it  is  stealing  something  which 
belongs  to  someone  else.  The  fact  that 
father  forgot  and  left  the  papers  on  his  desk 
should  make  no  difference.  That  is  not  our 
idea  of  honor.  I  cannot  understand  how  he 
came  to  forget — " 

"He  did  not  forget,"  breathed  Saito. 

"Then  how  came  they  there?"  asked  Hope 
in  amazement. 

For  answer  Saito  went  to  the  safe  gave  the 
lock  several  deft  turns  until  it  clicked  into 
place,  turned  the  knob  and  opened  the  safe, 
a  strange  smile  upon  his  face  until  he  caught 
the  look  of  horror  upon  Hope's. 

"Did  my  father  give  you  that  combination, 
Saito?"  she  asked  in  a  strange,  calm  voice, 
her  eyes  never  for  a  moment  leaving  his. 

"Yes,  long  ago.  When  you  went  abroad. 
I  had  charge  of  all  his  accounts,  and  he  kept 
much  of  value  in  this  safe." 

"And  now  you  have  used  his  confidence  in 
you  to  work  his  dishonor?  He  trusted  you, 
and  you  have  betrayed  his  trust?  Saito,  you 


294  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

could  hardly  have  asked  anything  of  my  father 
which  he  would  not  have  gladly  granted,  so 
deep  is  his  gratitude  for  what  you  have  done 
for  me,  and  because  he  knows  how  fond  I  have 
been  of  you." 

"Have  been.  Yes.  It  is  over,  and  7,  too, 
have  worshiped.  Was  it  Hinohime  or  the 
Daisy  Maiden?"  interrupted  Saito.  " Per- 
haps both.  But  can  affection  and  duty  ever 
walk  side  by  side?  If  I  give  all  to  you  shall 
I  serve  my  country?  And  those?  "  he  pointed 
to  the  papers  upon  the  desk.  "If  I  give  it 
up,  all,  all,  and  say  I  have  failed,  may  I  still 
claim  the  love,  the  respect?  May  I  serve 
ever  and  always?  In  Japan  there  was  once 
a  little  sister,  fair,  sweet,  sunny  like  you — yes, 
do  not  be  surprised — my  mother  became  the 
wife  of  an  English  gentleman  after  my 
father's  death, — Oh,  we  are  of  the  high 
caste;  he  was  of  noble  birth,  a  nobleman  in 
his  own  land.  I  was  to  her  age  what  your 
brother's  is  to  yours.  She  came  when  1  was 
almost  a  man.  We  called  her  Etsu, — our 


THE  PROMISE  IS  FULFILLED    295 

Delight — and  she  was  beautiful  as  the  sum- 
mer sunrise;  as  fair  as  the  lily;  as  pure  as  the 
snow.  Business  called  her  father  home  to 
England  when  she  was  nine  years  of  age. 
There  he  fell  ill  and  died.  That  year  his 
people  sent  for  our  Etsu-Ko.  It  was  her 
father's  will  they  said.  If  so  she  must  go. 
Japanese  wives  and  daughters  never  question. 
She  went,  her  heart  breaking.  Our  mother's 
did  break,  and  she  is  now  sleeping  near  the 
Shrine  of  Kwannon.  Etsu  lives  in  England. 
I  have  never  seen  her  since  the  day  she 
sailed  from  Japan, — the  little  sister  I  loved. 
She  is  now  fourteen  years  of  age.  In  Japan 
we  would  think  her  a  woman.  In  England, 
or  here,  she  is  thought  a  child.  My  heart  is 
heavy  for  the  sound  of  her  voice,  yet  I  may 
not  see  or  know  her.  So  her  father's  people 
will.  You  have  her  hair,  her  eyes,  her  pretty 
ways.  You  gave  me  kindness  and  affection 
when  my  heart  was  sore  and  hungry.  I 
would  gladly  have  given  my  life  in  return. 
If  you  command  it,  I  shall  now  give  my 


296  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

honor,"  and  turning  quickly  he  caught  up 
the  papers  from  the  desk  and  held  them 
toward  her,  adding:  "Here  is  the  work  of 
months.  If  I  hand  these  to  my  chief  at 
Washington  my  reward  will  be  a  title,  which 
will  make  me,  Saito  Togashi,  the  equal  of 
Etsu  Chicheley.  Then  I  shall  go  to  England 
and  claim  my  sister!" 

The  words  ended  with  a  proud  ring,  but 
the  next  instant  Saito  Togashi  dropped  upon 
a  chair  and  buried  his  face  upon  his  arms,  as 
only  a  moment  before  Hope  had  done. 

She  leaned  forward  and  laid  her  hand  upon 
his  arm. 

"  Saito,  listen  to  me.  You  are  wrong.  You 
cannot  win  Etsu  by  winning  a  title  in  this 
way.  All  the  titles  in  the  world  without 
truth  and  honor,  real  truth  and  honor,  I 
mean,  the  honor  my  Christ  taught,  the  truth 
He  lived,  doing  to  others  as  we  would  have 
them  do  unto  us,  would  mean  nothing  in  our 
world,  the  world  your  sister  lives  in  now. 
Her  people  would  despise  you  if  they  learned 


THE  PROMISE  IS  FULFILLED    297 

of  it.  All  who  know  you  here  would  do  the 
same.  Father  and  mother  would  pity  you, 
yes,  but  you  could  hold  no  place  in  their 
esteem.  You  say  you  are  well  born,  a  gentle- 
man in  your  own  country?  Be  one  in  ours 
also.  Be  Raymond's  equal.  Our  friend.  I 
have  this  copy.  If  others  knew  of  it  you 
would  be  nothing,  nothing  ever  again.  You 
can  say  you  have  failed.  That  will  be  true, 
for,  see — I  shall  destroy  these — for  Etsu's 
sake,  for  Etsu's  honor,"  and  rising  Hope  took 
a  few  steps  to  the  fireplace,  and  laid  the  thin 
sheets  upon  the  smouldering  logs.  In  an 
instant  they  flamed  into  a  blaze,  curled, 
blackened  and  floated  away  up  the  chimney. 
The  work  and  scheming  of  weeks  was  gone 
in  ashes. 

"But  your  father,  you  must  tell  him?" 
cried  Saito  in  a  hushed  voice. 

"  Gather  up  his  papers,  Saito,  and  put  them 
into  the  safe.  Father  has  never  doubted  you. 
He  never  shall  if  I  can  help  it.  Remember  it 
is  for  the  little  sister,  Etsu." 


298  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

The  smile  was  so  full  of  pity. 

A  moment  later  the  papers  were  securely 
fastened  in  the  safe.  Then  Saito  dropped 
upon  one  knee,  lifted  the  edge  of  Hope's  gar- 
ment to  his  lips  and  said: 

"I  am  at  sea  without  a  compass.  1  know 
not  which  of  the  gods  has  ordered  this:  The 
gods  of  my  fathers',  or  the  one  you  worship. 
But  this  I  know:  In  you  I  have  found  the 
Spirit  of  Hinohime:  Our  merciful  princess 
of  the  Sun.  I  have  failed  in  my  undertaking 
to  serve  my  country.  Perhaps  my  gods  have 
so  ordered  it  for  me.  I  cannot  understand. 
I  only  know  that  what  you  have  just  said  now 
seems  right  to  me.  If  this  is  the  message  of 
the  Christ  you  love,  and  in  whom  you  trust, 
He  has  chosen  his  time  and  way  to  send  it  to 
me,  and  I  obey.  In  a  few  days  I  must  go 
away.  We  may  never  meet  again,  but  I  shall 
never,  never  forget.  This  night  I  have  seen  a 
miracle,  whether  of  your  gods,  or  mine,  I 
know  not,  but  of  this  I  am  sure:  When  I  go 
to  claim  Etsu  it  shall  be  by  your  code  of  honor. 


THE  PROMISE  IS  FULFILLED    299 

May  all  the  gods  guard  you,  my  Hinohime. 
Come." 

Tenderly  he  led  her  back  to  the  elevator, 
silently  ran  the  car  up  to  Ruhevoll,  and 
guided  her  to  her  door.  Hope  passed  into 
her  room  as  noiselessly  as  she  had  fled  from 
it.  Saito  slipped  back  to  the  elevator  and 
descended  to  the  lower  floor  without  a  sound. 

Placing  her  negligee  and  slippers  as  they 
had  been  left  Hope  dropped  upon  her  bed, 
drew  the  covers  about  her,  and  with  a  little 
shuddering  sigh  pressed  her  hands  to  her  eyes. 

Had  the  past  hour  been  real?  Or  was  it 
all  a  dream?  No,  it  was  no  dream  and  the 
little  cathedral  clock  had  struck  five  ere  her 
eyes  closed  in  sleep.  It  was  long  past  nine 
before  she  opened  them  and  found  her  mother 
smiling  beside  her. 

"Well,  little  sleepy-head,  I  began  to  think 
you  would  not  waken  till  luncheon.  What 
a  wonderful  restful  sleep  it  has  been." 

For   a  moment  Hope  seemed  too   dazed 


300  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

to  answer.  Then  the  events  of  the  night  re- 
turned to  her  with  a  rush  and  she  cried : 

"Mother!  Mother!  Was  it  a  dream,  or 
did  I  walk?" 

Mrs.  Curtis  changed  color.  What  was 
this?  But  Hope  hurried  on. 

"No,  no,  it  was  not  a  dream.  I  know  it 
was  true.  Oh,  please  let  me  try  again.  I 
did  get  up;  I  am  sure  I  got  up,  and  I  want  to 
try  again." 

Mrs.  Curtis  was  disturbed.  Was  Hope 
feverish,  or  had  some  strange  change  really 
taken  place  during  the  night?  Stooping  she 
laid  her  hand  upon  the  little  girl's  forehead. 
It  was  cool  and  moist,  and  the  eyes  looking 
into  her  own  were  clear  and  calm  as  deep 
pools.  The  lips  were  smiling  happily. 

"Have  I  frightened  you,  Mumsey,  dear? 
Please  don't  let  me.  I  am  perfectly  all  right 
and  as  happy  as  happy  can  be  because  I  know 
I  am  going  to  walk  today." 

Though  secretly  much  concerned  Mrs. 
Curtis  gave  no  outward  sign.  Hope  had  so 


THE  PROMISE  IS  FULFILLED    301 

often  said  such  unusual  things  that  Mrs. 
Curtis  sometimes  wondered  whether  some 
strange  influence  dominated  her.  Whether 
her  highly  sensitive  nervous  organization 
could  feel  and  almost  foretell  events.  The 
child  had  always  insisted  that  before  Ray- 
mond's day  of  graduation  she  would  walk 
unaided,  and  had  always  stated  that  fact  so 
simply  and  confidently,  as  though  it  were  a 
matter  of  course,  and  quite  beyond  argument. 
And  now  the  date  of  Raymond's  graduation 
was  but  a  few  weeks  off.  Already  Mr.  Curtis 
had  quietly  made  arrangements  to  spend  two 
weeks  in  Annapolis,  and  had  rented  a  fur- 
nished house  near  the  Naval  Academy;  the 
home  of  a  retired  Admiral,  who  was  only  too 
glad  to  escape  the  rush  and  confusion  invari- 
ably incident  to  graduation  week  at  the 
Academy.  As  yet  Hope  had  not  been  told 
of  this,  lest  failure  of  strength  at  the  last 
moment  might  make  such  a  trip  impossible. 
In  that  event,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  would  go  to 
Annapolis  for  a  day  or  two  only,  for,  much  as 


302  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

they  felt  due  the  little  girl,  something  was 
also  due  their  only  son  upon  the  day  he  would 
receive  his  commission  as  an  Ensign  in  the 
United  States  Navy,  this  being  the  first  class 
ever  graduated  with  that  honor.  In  a  few 
days  Hope  would  be  told  of  the  plans. 

And  now  this  strange  exhilaration  and  cer- 
tainty of  recovery.  Mrs.  Curtis  stooped  and 
kissed  the  beaming  little  face,  and  then 
called  to  Miss  Forrester: 

"Do  you  hear  what  this  child  of  mine  is 
saying?" 

Miss  Forrester  hurried  into  Hope's  bed- 
room, asking: 

"What  new  and  wild  outbreak  have  we 
today?  I  can  see  she  will  soon  require  a 
governess  in  place  of  a  nurse.  She  is  getting 
quite  beyond  our  control.  Now  little  Daisy 
Maiden,  confess:  What  have  you  been  say- 
ing to  your  mother  to  make  her  summon  me 
to  bring  you  to  order?" 

"Can't  tell  you.  No,  not  one  word.  By 
and  by  I  shall  show  you,"  and  a  happy  little 


THE  PROMISE  IS  FULFILLED    303 

laugh  bubbled  to  Hope's  lips  as  Miss  Forrester 
and  her  mother  assisted  her  to  her  bathroom, 
where  good  Lizette  was  awaiting  her.  Half 
an  hour  later  the  lovely  curls  were  glinting 
from  Lizette's  deft  brushing,  and  Hope  was 
lovely  in  her  dainty  white  frock.  Then  came 
luncheon  with  her  father  and  mother  in  the 
big  dining-room,  to  which  she  could  now  go 
whenever  she  chose. 

Saito,  calm  and  attentive  as  ever,  served  as 
usual,  though  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  were 
impressed  by  his  silence  and  gravity.  As  a 
rule  he  had  been  all  smiles  and  bows,  or,  if 
spoken  to,  delighted  to  reply  in  his  funny 
broken  English.  Now  only  monosylabic  re- 
plies were  made  to  Mr.  Curtis'  kindly  greeting 
and  words.  He  looked  at  Saito  more  than 
once  when  the  little  man  was  unaware  of  his 
glances  and  wondered  what  was  the  cause  of 
his  unusual  seriousness,  resolving  to  question 
him  later,  for  Saito's  welfare  and  happiness 
lay  close  to  this  kindly  man's  heart.  Just 
now,  however,  he  was  too  filled  with  delight 


304  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

by  Hope's  merry  mood  and  evident  advance- 
ment toward  the  hoped-for  strength,  which 
would  make  the  Annapolis  trip  possible,  to 
think  long  of  aught  beside. 

Luncheon  ended,  Saito  drew  back  Mr. 
Curtis'  chair  who  rose  and  went  to  his  wife's, 
— a  little  courtesy  he  never  omitted — ,while 
Saito  hastened  to  Hope's  and  drawing  it 
gently  back,  offered  her  her  crutches. 

With  a  smile  which  he  never  forgot,  she 
waved  them  gently  aside,  rose  unaided  to  her 
feet  and  walked  slowly  but  with  perfect 
balance  and  steadiness  around  the  circle  of 
the  great  table  toward  her  father  and  mother. 

Mrs.  Curtis  gave  a  little  cry  and  sank  back 
upon  her  chair.  Mr.  Curtis  exclaiming: 
" Gracious  God! "  sprang  toward  her,  his  arms 
outstretched.  Saito  with  hands  clasped  stood 
white  and  rigid  as  though  turned  to  stone. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

UNTIL  WE   MEET    AGAIN 

Twilight  was  softly  falling  upon  that  still 
May  evening.  Dinner  had  been  served,  and 
Hope  and  her  father  were  swinging  gently  to 
and  fro  in  the  big  lawn  swing  in  the  garden. 
Even  the  noises  of  the  city  beyond  the  ivy 
covered  walls  enclosing  the  garden  seemed 
hushed.  Mrs.  Curtis  had  gone  indoors  only 
a  moment  before  to  receive  a  neighbor,  who 
called  to  bid  her  good-bye  upon  the  eve  of 
departing  for  Europe. 

Hope  and  her  father  had  been  talking  over 
the  wonderful  events  of  that  afternoon.  Of 
the  moment  she  had  risen  from  her  chair  and 
walked  toward  him.  How  Miss  Forrester 
who  had  been  hastily  summoned  to  see  the 

miracle,  had  phoned  for  Dr.  — — ,  who 

hurried  to  the  house  as  fast  as  his  motor  car 


3C6  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

could  bring  him,  and  upon  his  arrival  had 
re-assured  them  by  saying  he  was  not  at  all 
surprised;  that  he  had  expected  it,  and  felt 
sure  that  his  patient  would  astonish  them 
before  long  by  doing  a  Marathon  run  for  their 
benefit, — such  strides  had  she  made  during 
the  past  three  months.  His  only  caution  was : 
"Make  haste  slowly,  little  girl." 

Every  member  of  the  household  had  to  be 
called  to  see  this  miraculous  feat,  until  Hope 
had  laughingly  said  that  she  was  quite  as 
big  a  "show"  as  the  Hippodrome,  only  she 
had  all  the  glory  and  credit  to  herself.  Never 
had  there  been  such  rejoicing  in  this  home. 
From  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis,  straight  down  to 
Bridget  the  cook  and  Michael,  who  having 
seen  with  his  own  eyes  the  miracle  which  had 
come  to  pass  in  this  household,  where  he  had 
served  for  more  than  twenty  years,  straight- 
way betook  himself  to  his  church  to  offer  a 
fervent  prayer  of  thanks  to  the  Virgin,  whose 
blessing  he  firmly  believed  Hope's  restored 
strength  to  be. 


UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN         307 

And  now  in  the  twilight,  nestled  in  her 
father's  arms,  Hope  said: 

"Daddy,  dear,  I  want  to  tell  you  some- 
thing more,  but  it  must  be  a  secret  between 
just  you  and  me;  not  another  single  person 
must  share  it." 

"Excepting  Mother,  of  course,"  said  Mr. 
Curtis,  a  note  of  conviction  in  his  voice. 

Hope  reached  up  one  hand  in  the  little  way 
so  native  to  her  and  answered: 

"Daddy,  please,  no  one  but  you  and  me. 
I  can't  even  tell  you  all  of  it  now.  May  be 
I  shall  some  day,  but  in  honor  I  can't  now. 
Will  you  trust  and  believe  me,  Daddy?" 
The  words  were  sweetly  persuasive.  It  would 
have  been  hard  to  deny  such  a  request.  Nor 
did  Mr.  Curtis  for  a  moment  dream  of  the 
weight  of  the  promise  he  would  make. 

"I'd  promise  the  half  of  my  kingdom  to- 
night, Sweetheart.  It  shall  be  as  you  wish." 

Then,  there  in  the  lovely  spring  twilight, 
close  nestled  in  her  father's  arms,  Hope  told 
of  her  dream,  and  how  she  had  walked  in  her 


308  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

sleep,  waking  to  find  herself  in  the  library  at 
half  past  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  How 
Saito  had  found  her  there,  and  helped  her 
safely  back  to  her  room  without  waking,  or 
startling  any  one,  and  how  she  had  again 
dropped  asleep,  and  slept  until  nearly  nine 
o'clock.  All  this,  yet  no  word  of  Saito's 
scheme  or  even  a  hint  which  would  reflect  the 
slightest  discredit  upon  him,  or  little  Delight 
Chickeley,  far  away  in  England;  the  little 
sister  whom  Saito  so  loved,  and  for  whom  his 
sore  heart  yearned  every  moment  he  lived. 
The  only  blood  kin  he  could  claim  upon  earth, 
and  from  whose  presence  the  conventions  of 
her  father's  race  debarred  this  Japanese  half- 
brother. 

How  carefully  she  chose  her  words,  this 
little  girl  who  felt  that  she  held  in  her  keeping 
the  honor  of  one  who  had  loved  and  served 
her,  even  though  he  had,  during  that  very 
time,  been  laying  plans  which,  had  they  suc- 
ceeded, would  have  brought  pain  and  dis- 
honor to  her  very  own.  But  that  was  all  past 


UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN         309 

now,  and  she  must  not  let  the  little  half- 
English  sister  ever  suspect  what  her  half- 
brother  had  planned.  No;  no  one  on  earth 
must  dream  of  it. 

"And  once  more  we  have  Saito  to  thank 
for  being  near  at  a  crucial  moment."  exclaimed 
Mr.  Curtis.  "Can  I  ever  repay  his  devotion 
to  us?  But  how  strange  that  he  should  have 
been  awake  at  that  hour,  and  should  have 
heard  you.  Truly,  the  dear  Lord  had  you  in 
his  care,  my  little  one.  While  we  who  should 
have  been  upon  the  alert  every  instant  were 
sleeping,  one  upon  whom  we  have  not  the 
slightest  claim,  was  at  hand  to  protect  you. 
What  can  I  do  to  show  my  gratitude?  No 
wonder  he  has  been  so  silent  all  day.  Mother 
and  I  noticed  it  and  commented  upon  it.  No, 
I  shall  not  tell  her;  it  would  only  needlessly 
alarm  her,  and  she  has  had  quite  enough  to 
tax  her  nerves  already.  My  precious  little 
daughter,  thank  God  no  harm  came  to  you  in 
those  silent  watches  of  the  night,"  and  Mr. 
Curtis  kissed  the  dear  face  upon  his  shoulder. 


310  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

They  sat  in  silence  for  a  few  moments  and 
then  there  came  the  faintest  sound  behind 
them,  and  Saito  glided  around  the  end  of  the 
swing  and  stood  before  them,  with  head 
bowed. 

Mr.  Curtis  checked  the  motion  of  the  swing 
and  rose  to  his  feet.  Neither  then  remem- 
bered that  the  window  of  the  room  assigned 
to  Saito  opened  just  above  where  the  swing 
stood.  Laying  his  hand  upon  Saito's  shoulder 
Mr.  Curtis  said  with  a  strange  catch  in  his 
voice:  " Saito,  again  you  have  served  us  be- 
yond our  power  to  repay.  Miss  Hope  has 
just  told  me  the  story  of  last  night." 

For  a  moment  Saito  made  no  reply,  then 
gently  removing  Mr.  Curtis'  hand  from  his 
shoulder,  he  said  in  words  so  free  from  the 
slightest  accent  that  Hope's  father's  eyes  filled 
with  amazement. 

"No,  Mr.  Curtis,  not  all.  The  strangest 
part  of  it,  the  most  incredible  and  the  most 
beautiful,  I  shall  tell  you.  I  have  been  there 
in  my  room:  I  heard  all;  not  because  I  chose 


UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN         31 1 

to  listen,  but  because  I  could  not  help  hearing. 
I  am  now  thankful  I  heard.  It  is  for  me  to 
tell  all,  all.  It  is  for  the  honor  which  my 
beloved  Yoshi-Ko  has  taught  me;  the  honor 
which  will  gain  where  my  ideas  of  honor 
would  have  meant  ultimate  dishonor.  I  can 
now  see  it.  Last  night  opened  my  eyes.  And 
that  honor  I  now  give  into  your  keeping.  You 
will  understand  even  as  my  little  Sun  Princess 
understood  last  night.  Next  to  my  own 
little  Etsu  she  holds  my  love,  my  endless  devo- 
tion, whether  I  am  near  her  or  far,  far  away. 
May  I  speak?  " 

Mr.  Curtis  bowed  his  consent,  too  astounded 
even  for  words.  Then  the  story  of  the  night's 
experiences  was  told. .  Tears  stood  in  Mr. 
Curtis'  eyes  before  it  ended.  What  a  night 
for  this  little  daughter!  One  whom  he  had 
regarded  as  a  mere  child.  But,  under  all  ran 
a  thrill  of  pride.  She  had  met  the  test  of  a 
great  emergency  as  every  Curtis  before  her 
had  met  such,  and,  please  God,  would  ever 
meet  those  coming  to  them. 


312  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

When  Saito  finished  he  stood  silently 
awaiting  his  hearer's  next  words.  Mr.  Curtis 
held  out  his  hand.  With  a  look  of  surprise 
and  intense  gratitude  Saito  laid  his  in  the  big 
strong  one. 

"  Saito  from  now  on  it  must  be  as  friends — 
no  longer  master  and  servant.  That  is  ended. 
For  a  few  days,  perhaps,  the  masquerade  must 
continue  for  your  own  sake.  Then  you  will 
be  suddenly  called  to  Washington.  Do  you 
understand?  Go,  and  await  my  coming. 
Meanwhile  perhaps  you  can  find  some  one  to 
take  your  place  here.  None  save  ourselves 
shall  ever  know  of  the  past  twenty-four  hours. 
When  you  reach  Washington  wait  for  me  at 
the  Willard.  After  my  son's  graduation  I 
shall  join  you  there,  and  a  position  of  trust 
shall  be  obtained  for  you  where  your  ability 
will  tell.  I  have  many  friends  in  the  Diplo- 
matic circle.  Meantime  believe  in  me  and  " 
Mr.  Curtis  smiled— Your  'Yoshi-Ko'.  We 
shall  always  love  the  name  and  it  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  us.  Your  'Lovable  Little 


UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN         313 

Lady.'  It  is  a  very  tender  appellation.  You 
have  taught  us  many  things,  and  I  think  she, 
also,  has  taught  you  the  greatest  lesson  of 
your  life;  the  one  upon  which  all  your  future 
happiness  and  success  will  rest.  The  lesson 
which  our  great  Lord  Shaka,  whom  we  call 
our  Christ,  has  taught  his  followers :  To  love 
another  better  than  we  love  ourselves.  May 
He  guard  and  keep  you,"  and  Saito's  hand  was 
once  more  warmly  pressed. 

"I  thank  you,  and  my  gratitude  is  yours 
forever.  I  shall  obey  implicitly.  Hence- 
forth it  shall  be  the  teachings  of  thy  Lord 
Shaka  and  my  Hinohime,"  and  bowing,  Saito 
turned  and  raised  Hope's  hand  to  his  lips.  A 
moment  later  he  was  gone. 

Mr.  Curtis  turned  and  gathering  Hope  into 
his  arms  carried  her  into  the  house. 

Three  days  later  Saito  bade  the  family 
good-bye,  having  installed  Kozo  in  his  place. 
At  first  it  was  hard  for  the  household  to  adjust 
itself  to  the  sudden  change,  but  other  matters 
more  absorbing  filled  every  heart  with  joy. 


314  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

The  little  Daisy  Maiden  had  discarded  her 
crutches  for  all  time,  it  seemed.  True,  she 
never  stirred  without  some  one  being  close 
at  hand,  but  from  that  wonderful  night  she 
walked  unaided.  Slowly,  it  is  true,  but 
surely,  and  each  day  with  greater  strength 
and  confidence. 

And  so  passed  the  lovely  month  of  May 
until  the  twenty-fifth  arrived,  bringing  with 
it  the  event  of  Hope's  life,  the  departure  for 
Annapolis  to  see  Raymond  graduate  on  June 
seventh. 

We  cannot  tell  all  the  delightful  happenings 
of  that  journey,  or  of  the  summer  which  fol- 
lowed. Something  must  be  left  over  for 
"Hope's  New  World",  but  we  can  hint  at  a 
launch  party  up  the  Severn  River  on  Memorial 
Day,  when  she  renewed  her  acquaintance 
with  Toots,  Tubby  and  Dicky  Of  the  pic- 
nic in  the  sweet,  green  woodland,  when  Hope 
and  Dicky  found  a  few  moments  in  which  the 
boy  had  time  to  say : 

"The  dream   came  true,  didn't  it,   little 


UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN         315 

sister?  I  have  thought  of  it  so  many  times 
since  and  the  awful  ending  of  that  day  on  the 
lake.  I  hope  I  may  never  live  through  such 
another,  not  even  for  the  sake  of  enjoying 
such  a  happy  time  as  went  before." 

"Ah,  but  it  was  all  just  right  after  all. 
Don't  you  see  that  it  was?"  smiled  Hope. 
"And  you  know  there  was  no  pain  for  me: 
Just  nothing  for  a  long,  long  time  but  waiting. 
And  now  it  is  just  as — as — the  dream 
promised.  Oh,  Dicky,  it  seems  too  good  to 
be  true.  Too  good!  And  I  am  so  happy. 
So  happy." 

Then  followed  the  delights  and  excitement 
of  June  Week,  with  drills  and  dress-parades, 
and  oh,  wonder  of  wonders!  and  surprise  of 
surprises!  Raymond's  Company  won  the 
Colors,  and  Hope  was  chosen  to  present  them. 
The  contest  had  been  a  close  one,  and  not 
decided  until  the  very  last  moment,  but  at 
length  it  was  settled  in  favor  of  the  Eighth 
Company,  and  the  honor  of  presenting  the 


316  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

beautiful  silken  flags  to  Raymond,  it's  Cap- 
tain, fell  to  Hope. 

Could  such  another  day  ever  come?  Could 
such  an  hour  of  overwhelming  pride  and  hap- 
piness ever  be  hers?  Leaning  upon  the  arm 
of  the  Superintendent  of  the  Academy  she 
walked  out  upon  the  great  Parade  Ground 
before  the  vast  audience  of  people  gathered 
upon  the  seats  which  lined  it,  and  met  Ray- 
mond as  he  advanced  to  receive  the  flags 
which  the  Color  Bearers  each  in  turn  placed 
in  her  hands,  the  whole  Brigade  of  Midship- 
men standing  at  attention  in  a  line  which 
stretched  entirely  across  the  parade  ground? 

She  had  prepared  a  little  speech  for  this 
great  occassion,  but  at  the  last  moment  only 
love  and  joy  filled  her  heart  and  mind  and  she 
said: 

"Oh,  Raymond,  Raymond,  I  am  so  happy, 
so  proud,  that  I  can't  say  anything  but  God 
bless  the  dear,  dear  flag  and,  you,  and  make 
you  the  most  splendid,  and  bravest  officer  in 
the  Service!" 


UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN         317 

What  a  joyous,  inspiring  ring  there  was  to 
the  words. 

Then  what  a  cheer  went  up  for  the  girl,  the 
colors,  and  the  company,  and  Hope  walked 
back  to  the  Reviewing  Pavilion  radiant  as  the 
afternoon  sunlight. 

At  night  came  the  class  German,  which 
she  saw  from  the  gallery  of  the  Gymnasium, 
and  the  following  afternoon  graduation  exer- 
cises in  the  vast  bunting-decked  Armory,  with 
the  President  of  the  United  States  to  address 
the  graduating  class,  and  present  the  diplomas 
to  the  newly  commissioned  Ensigns. 

When  Raymond's  was  placed  in  his  hands 
Hope  gave  a  little  cry,  and  clapped  hers  so 
vigorously  that  the  little  white  kid  gloves 
split  from  wrist  to  finger. 

When  it  was  all  over,  and  the  dignitaries 
of  the  day  had  marched  solemnly  out,  the 
graduates  rose  to  their  feet  and  sang  their 
class  song,  but  as  the  last  strain  died  away 
pandemonium  broke  loose.  Quickly  falling 
in  line  they  formed  for  the  Snake  Dance, 


318  HOPE'S  MESSENGER 

invariably  the  grand  finale  of  graduation. 
Down  the  Armory  they  wound  and  circled  to 
the  rollicking  strains  of  "Out  of  the  Wilder- 
ness", played  by  "Zimmie's"  Band,  tossing 
their  caps,  now  discarded  forever  for  the  caps 
of  the  full-fledged  officer,  wildly  into  the  air. 
And  many  a  mad  scramble  was  made  by 
feminine  friends  to  secure  one  as  a  souvenir 
of  this  eventful  day.  Dicky  rescued  Ray- 
mond's and  presented  it  to  Hope  with  a  grand 
flourish:  Dicky  now  the  dignified  second- 
classman.  Perish  the  youngster  with  his  one 
diagonal  stripe!  Now  two  would  adorn  his 
forearm. 

And  that  night  came  the  great  Farewell 
Ball  given  to  the  graduating  class  by  the  New 
First  Class.  A  glorious,  glittering  spectacle 
upon  which  Hope  could  look,  but  alas!  not 
dance.  But  Dicky,  the  optimistic,  removed 
even  a  suggestion  of  regret  by  saying: 

"Never  mind,  little  foster-sister.  It's  some- 
thing to  just  be  here,  isn't  it?" 


UNTIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN         319 

"It's  everything!"  responded  Hope  enthu- 
siastically. 

"  Better  believe  it  is.  And,  listen  here :  In 
two  years  I'll  be  graduating  and  by  that  time 
you've  got  to  be  strong  enough  to  dance  our 
German  with  me.  Do  you  hear?  Is  it  a 
bargain?" 

"If  I  am  strong  enough  do  you  really  want 
me  to?" 

"Do  I?     Well!     Is  it  a  go?" 

"It  will  be  too  lovely  for  any  words  to  tell 
about,  and  I'll  make  haste  to  grow  strong 
just  as  fast  as  I  can,  and  learn  how  to  dance 
so  well  that  you  won't  be  ashamed  of  me." 

"  I  could  never  be  ashamed  of  you  if  we  had 
to  walk  through  every  figure,"  was  the  gallant 
reply. 

And  here  we  must  bid  Hope  good-bye  until 
we  can  greet  her  once  more  in  Hope's  New 
World. 

FINIS 


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